California Baptist University
San Jose State
MSOC PREVIEW: CBU Hits the Road For A Pair of Impactful WAC Matches
10/10/2023 12:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE: The Lancer men's soccer team has made a statement with a pair of 3-0 wins against Grand Canyon and UTRGV to open the Western Athletic Conference slate. CBU and Seattle U are the only teams in the WAC still unbeaten in conference play, with the Redhawks currently sitting at 2-0-1 after drawing with the Lopes last weekend.
The Lancers have a lot to be encouraged by at the moment: Leo Mendez and Luis Mueller are among the top scorers in the conference, senior captain Thomas Beecham is back in the starting lineup and has returned to form in the blink of an eye, and Nolan Premack ranks among the top goalkeepers in the country.
Premack is the only keeper in the conference who hasn't allowed a goal in conference play this season. In the NCAA, he ranks sixth in goals allowed per game (0.600) and seventh in save percentage (0.833). He's also been an absolute wall at home, presently maintaining a home shutout streak of 509 minutes and counting.
The Lancers will head north this week, stopping first at San Jose State on Thursday night to take on the Spartans. Following that is a trip to the Pacific Northwest for what could be the most impactful matchup of the season against the Redhawks on Sunday.
SAN JOSE STATE AT A GLANCE
The Spartans sit at 5-4-4 in 2023, with a 2-1-1 WAC record. San Jose State resides in second place at the moment with seven points by means of taking down Air Force (1-0) to open league play, besting third-place Utah Tech (3-0), and drawing with Utah Valley (1-1). The Spartans received the only other first-place vote in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll, which, by default, makes it clear the respect level the CBU Head Coach Coe Michaelson has for SJSU.
The Spartans boast a tremendous amount of talent, not the least of which is standing in goal for them every game, David Sweeney. Sweeney has played all but one game in goal for San Jose this season, allowing an average of just 1.17 goals per game and stopping nearly 75% of shots he faces.
On the other side of the pitch, Angel Iniguez and Gaku Nishimura lead the Spartans attack. Iniguez leads the squad in goals (five) and assists (six), while Nishimura has double-digit points with 11 behind three goals and five assists. In total, 11 Spartans have scored this season, with all five game-winners coming from different players.
SEATTLE U AT A GLANCE
The Redhawks entered the NCAA National Poll a few weeks ago and find themselves ranked 17th in the nation after ripping through an impressive non-conference schedule and beginning WAC play with a 2-0-1 record. Seattle drew with then #14 Denver and came from behind to defeat crosstown rival #20 Washington in back-to-back matches to close out the aforementioned non-conference slate. Currently riding a five-game unbeaten streak, the Redhawks will have to wrestle with UTRGV before the Lancers make it to town.
Seattle is headed up by a new coach for the first time in 29 years, but Nate Daligcon is familiar with the program, having been with SU men's soccer since 2013. He has kept the always competitive Redhawks in top shape during his transition even after the squad was left off the WAC Preseason team altogether, something they surely have used as motivation all season long. The Redhawks are led offensively by James Morris, who has recorded 18 points (seven goals and four assists) through 12 games.
