Thursday, September 3
Bellingham, Wash.
7:00 PM
California Baptist University
at
Western Washington
Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez
Washington Bound
9/2/2015 4:04:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Both California Baptist University men's and women's soccer teams headed north this morning to the state of Washington to open the new season. The men will stay in Seattle, while the women travel to Bellingham.
The Lancer women kick off first against No. 14-ranked Western Washington on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Two days later, CBU faces former NAIA opponent and freshly accepted NCAA Division II member Concordia (Ore.) at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Last year, CBU dropped a tight 1-0 loss to the Vikings, its only matchup against WWU. The Lancers controlled much of the run of play but couldn't find the back of the net, something they'll look to change early in the season opener. Justene Kesterson could be one of the Lancers to provide that offensive spark after being named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.
It's been six years since the Lancers have faced the Cavaliers, last squaring off in 2009. CBU grabbed a 3-0 victory that year, moving the all-time series to an even 2-2.
On the men's side, CBU gets an early test as it takes on No. 8-ranked Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. (previously scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff) and then gets a shot at redemption on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) as the Lancers go up against the team that ended their first NCAA Division II postseason run early, Simon Fraser.
With more than half the team debuting for the Lancers — 13 of 24 are newcomers — the returning players will look to bring leadership to the pitch. Reigning PacWest Freshman of the Year Aidan Apodaca will look to build on his rookie season after finishing the year with a team-high seven goals. Joining the offensive mix are senior transfer Julian Ekeze and freshman midfielder Junior Guerra. The pair looked comfortable in the Lancer offense during the preseason exhibitions and will need to bring the offensive spark as season begins against a strong SPU squad.
Both CBU squads hope to return to California with a pair of victories, but plan on taking one game at a time and get out any kinks early before PacWest play opens in just three weeks on Sept. 24.
The Lancer women kick off first against No. 14-ranked Western Washington on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Two days later, CBU faces former NAIA opponent and freshly accepted NCAA Division II member Concordia (Ore.) at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Last year, CBU dropped a tight 1-0 loss to the Vikings, its only matchup against WWU. The Lancers controlled much of the run of play but couldn't find the back of the net, something they'll look to change early in the season opener. Justene Kesterson could be one of the Lancers to provide that offensive spark after being named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.
It's been six years since the Lancers have faced the Cavaliers, last squaring off in 2009. CBU grabbed a 3-0 victory that year, moving the all-time series to an even 2-2.
On the men's side, CBU gets an early test as it takes on No. 8-ranked Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. (previously scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff) and then gets a shot at redemption on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) as the Lancers go up against the team that ended their first NCAA Division II postseason run early, Simon Fraser.
With more than half the team debuting for the Lancers — 13 of 24 are newcomers — the returning players will look to bring leadership to the pitch. Reigning PacWest Freshman of the Year Aidan Apodaca will look to build on his rookie season after finishing the year with a team-high seven goals. Joining the offensive mix are senior transfer Julian Ekeze and freshman midfielder Junior Guerra. The pair looked comfortable in the Lancer offense during the preseason exhibitions and will need to bring the offensive spark as season begins against a strong SPU squad.
Both CBU squads hope to return to California with a pair of victories, but plan on taking one game at a time and get out any kinks early before PacWest play opens in just three weeks on Sept. 24.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
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