CONFERENCE ACTION HEATS UP ? In the second week of WAC action, San Jose State looks to remain hot. The Spartans 2-0 conference start is their best since joining the WAC in 1996. Fresno State and Utah State also both started the conference season with wins. The Bulldogs defeated Nevada, 2-0, while the Aggies stopped Louisiana Tech, 2-1.
This week, the Spartans look to continue their early-season success on the road against Utah State and Louisiana Tech. Hawai?i will host both Louisiana Tech and Utah State. Fresno State will host both Boise State and Idaho in an attempt to remain undefeated in WAC play.
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK ? San Jose State midfielder Nicole Irwin and Fresno State goalkeeper Angie Larsen have been named the Western Athletic Conference women’s soccer offensive and defensive Players of the Week, respectively.
Irwin, a junior from Dublin, Calif. (Dublin), scored three goals, including two game-winners, and added one assist in leading San Jose State to its first 2-0 conference start since joining the WAC in 1996. After missing the game at third-ranked Santa Clara on Wednesday, she scored the first two goals and assisted on the third in a 3-0 home win over Boise State in the Spartans’ conference opener on Oct. 6. Irwin notched the lone goal in a 1-0 win at Idaho on Oct. 8, shooting into the left corner following a cross from the right at 25:48. The goal was her team-leading fourth of the year, with three being game-winners. The junior now has four game-winners for her Spartan career, and also leads the Spartans in total points with 10. For the week, she produced three goals and one assist for seven total points.
Larsen, a senior from San Jose, Calif. (West Valley College), led the Bulldogs to a conference win over Nevada, 2-0. She recorded five saves and allowed no goals in 90 minutes. It was the only match of the week for the Bulldogs. The senior has 71 total saves and a 0.48 GAA. It was Larsen’s eighth shutout of the season as Fresno State moves to 7-4-1 this season and joins Utah State and San Jose State as the only undefeated teams in conference play.
Other offensive nominees included: Brennan Lau, Boise State; Antonea Lugo, Fresno State; Denise Wilson, Louisiana Tech; and Charity Weston, Utah State.
Other defensive nominees included: Kim Parker, Boise State; Marissa Dayton, San Jose State and Lindsey Smart, Utah State.
WAC IN THE NCAA ? The WAC boasts two teams that rank in the top 30 in three categories. Nevada and Fresno State are 19th and 20th respectively in goals against average at 0.517 and 0.526. The Bulldogs are 18th in the nation in shutout percentage at 0.64, while their 0.917 save percentage is fifth. Nevada comes in ninth this week in save percentage, posting a .885 mark. Fresno State’s Angie Larsen is 23rd in goals against average (0.526 GAA). Larsen is seventh in the NCAA in save percentage at 0.917, while Nevada’s Caitlin’s Holmes is 14th at 0.886.
SPARTANS OFF TO FAST START ? San Jose State is off to its first 2-0 conference start since joining the WAC in 1996. The previous best WAC start for the Spartans was 2-0-1 in 2000. The Spartans are alone atop the WAC with six points. The shutouts over Boise State and Idaho were the first for the Spartans this season, and their first back-to-back shutouts since 2004. San Jose State makes its first trip to Logan, Utah, to face Utah State on Friday, October 13, before hosting Louisiana Tech for the first time on Sunday, October 15.
AGGIES START CONFERENCE PLAY WITH A WIN ? Utah State has played in eight straight one-goal matches and 11 on the season. Sunday’s win over Louisiana Tech marks the second year in a row that the Aggies have opened conference play with a victory over the Lady Techsters. The win over Louisiana Tech was also Utah State’s first win on a Sunday after losing the previous three Sunday matches. The Aggies are 5-0 when scoring first but 1-7 when the opposition strikes first.
HAWAI?I’S FUKUROKU DOMINATES ? Hawai?i sophomore Taryn Fukuroku has been an offensive powerhouse this season. Fukuroku is first in the WAC in points (21), goals (8) and points per game (1.40). The sophomore is also first in the league in shots with 55, averaging 3.67 spg. She is also tied for first in the WAC in assists with five, tied with San Jose State’s Cristin Murphy. She is second in assists per game (0.42 apg).
TECHSTERS SET SHOTS RECORD ? Louisiana Tech set a new WAC record with 68 shots against Prairie View A&M. The old record was held by UTEP with 61 against Youngstown State in 2000.
SOCCER FORMAT ? The WAC will continue its regular-season play as a single round-robin format for a total of seven conference matches, but will add in a points system. Each team will receive three points for a win and one point for a tie. The six teams with the most points at the end of the regular season will advance to the WAC Tournament which is being held Nov. 2-3, 5 in Reno, Nev.
NCAA OPPONENTS ? Of the 92 non-conference matchups, 15 are against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year and five are at WAC home sites. Three teams in the WAC play at least three non-conference opponents that competed in the NCAA Tournament last year.
Pepperdine def. Idaho, 5-0
Cal State Fullerton def. Idaho, 4-0
Utah State def. Weber State, 1-0
Fresno State def. Florida, 1-0
Arizona def. Utah State, 3-0
Utah def. Fresno State, 2-0
Fresno State def. BYU, 1-0
Arizona def. Hawai?i, 1-0 (OT)
BYU def. Utah State, 1-0 (OT)
California def. Boise State, 2-1
Gonzaga def. Idaho, 3-0
UC Riverside def. Fresno State (2OT), 1-0
UC Riverside def. San Jose State, 2-1
Utah def. Utah State, 1-0
Santa Clara def. San Jose State, 6-0
COLLEGE CUP ? The 25th Annual Women’s College Cup will be held December 1 and 3, in Cary, N.C. Last season, the WAC had one team compete in postseason play with Fresno State falling in the first round to Santa Clara. The following is a list of sites and dates for the 2006 NCAA Tournament:
First/Second Rounds (16)
November 10 and 12, 2006
On campus sites TBD
Third Rounds (8)
November 17, 18 or 19, 2006
On campus sites TBD
Quarterfinals (4)
November 24, 25 or 26, 2006
On campus sites TBD
Women’s College Cup
December 1 and 3, 2006
Cary, N.C.
Host: North Carolina State
TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE ? To determine championship seeding in the event of ties between two teams or ties among multiple teams, the following criteria are applied:
In the event of a two-way tie:
1. Head-to-head competition
2. Compare the teams’ records to that of the next highest finishing team (if tie for first). If tie is for position other than first, comparison will begin at the top of the standings.
3. In the unlikely event that teams are still tied, the conference conducts a draw.
For a three or more-way tie:
1. Head-to-head competition among the teams involved in the tie. The team(s) with the best record against the other teams receives the higher seed or advances to the next tie-breaker.
2. Same procedures as above.