MSOC Preview: Lancers Visit UC San Diego Saturday to Close Pac-12 Schedule

LA JOLLA, CA --- The finale of California Baptist's inaugural run through the Pac-12 arrives on Saturday, with CBU set to visit La Jolla and the UC San Diego Tritons. Entering the weekend tied at the top of the conference table, three points on Saturday could prove to be pivotal in seeding for the upcoming conference tournament.

CBU will be playing for the first time since a scoreless draw with San Diego State a week ago. The Lancers were scheduled to battle UC Santa Barbara in a Big West/Pac-12 Crossover Match on Wednesday, but inclement weather postponed the contest to next week.

The Lancers and Gauchos will now meet on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m.

Saturday night could have major implications on the postseason for CBU, which comes into the weekend sitting on ten points, tying the Lancers with Oregon State for first place. A victory on Saturday would clinch the Lancers, at a minimum, a share of the Pac-12 regular season crown, with Oregon State set to finish their conference schedule on October 31 against Gonzaga.

A CBU win on Saturday, paired with an OSU draw or loss next, would solidify the outright championship for the Lancers, which comes with the right to host the semifinal and subsequent championship round, should CBU make it, in the Pac-12 Tournament.

On the flip side, a loss or draw on Saturday keeps the door open for CBU to potentially travel to their semifinal match. UC San Diego sits on five points, one point shy of San Diego State. The two San Diego schools will meet on the final day of the regular season, and should both teams earn a win in their penultimate conference matches this week, a win for either team next week would drop the Lancers to the third seed in the postseason.

The Lancers, with two matches remaining after Saturday, will close their season with a pair of crossover matches that serve as non-conference contests.

CBU comes into the weekend unbeaten in nine of its last ten opportunities, including victories in eight of those tries. Their draw last week with the Aztecs was CBU's first of the season and marked the first time in their last 32 matches in which the Lancers were held off the scoreboard. Shutouts have been a trend this season, but on the defensive side, as CBU bolsters the fourth-highest shutout percentage in the nation, keeping opponents off the board 57 percent of the time.

Freshman goalkeeper Ulrik Stroem is also near the top of the charts in shutouts, as his seven clean sheets are tied for the third most in the country.

Offensively, the Lancers are averaging 1.79 goals per match, led by Blake D'Agostino with a team-high seven goals. Justin Ojo is second on the squad with six.

The Tritons, who enter the weekend with five points in Pac-12 action, are led by Ryan Namdar with seven goals. Nic Thiele has produced the bulk of the time in goal, tallying 49 saves in 15 appearances.

Saturday's contest, which will be Senior Night in La Jolla, is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

Blake D'Agostino

Justin Ojo

Ulrik Stroem

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