SportsScope : Cal State L.A.’s Top Three Scorers to Lead Kickers

Strengthened by the return of its top three scorers from last season, the Cal State Los Angeles men’s soccer team opens its 1989 season with a nonconference game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m. Friday in San Luis Obispo.

Cal State L.A., an NCAA Division I independent, finished with a 9-9-2 record in its first year under Coach Leo Cuellar last season and returns eight starters and 15 lettermen.

The Golden Eagles are hoping to continue the momentum they had at the end of last season, when they went 6-1-2 in their final nine games.

Leading the way is junior forward Waldir Guerra, who topped the Golden Eagles with 23 points on nine goals and five assists last season. The other top scorers returning are junior forward Brent Bish, who had 21 points including nine goals last season, and sophomore forward Carlos Zavala, who scored five goals and 12 points.

Another top returning player is goaltender Joe Shuck, a junior who allowed only 24 goals in 20 games for a 1.19 goals-against average last season.

Other top defensive players returning include junior fullback Martin Alvarado, senior halfback Snorre Gunnarschja and sophomore midfielder Jose Magdaleno.

Cal State L.A. will face a San Luis Obispo team that posted a 9-8-3 record and finished third in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. last season. The Golden Eagles play their home opener at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against UC Irvine.

The Azusa Pacific University men’s soccer team will open its 1989 season with a game against Cal Poly Pomona at 4 p.m. Saturday in Pomona.

Azusa Pacific struggled to a 3-13-5 record last season and returns only four players.

One of the returning players is senior forward Ab Alvarez, a former All-CIF Southern Section selection, who has been leading scorer for Azusa Pacific the last two seasons.

The Cougars, who also had a good recruiting year, were picked to finish fourth in the Golden State Athletic Conference in a preseason poll.

They will face a Pomona squad that was 5-11-4 last season and 1-7-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. The Broncos also return their top scorer from last season, senior midfielder and forward Wahyu Tanoto, who had five goals and 11 points.

Other leaders for the Broncos include senior midfielder Mike Thompson, junior forward Graham Vernon, senior defender Brian Wendel and senior goaltender Tim Miller.

Kevin McCabe of Alhambra, an assistant football coach at Muir High School in Pasadena last season, has been named president of the Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.

McCabe, 26, is the youngest National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame chapter president in the nation. A graduate of Princeton, he was also an assistant coach on the Muir football teams that won back-to-back CIF Southern Section titles in 1985 and 1986.

Two standouts from the San Gabriel Valley last season are among 10 recipients of the 1989 Ford/Pele Soccer College Scholarship for academic and athletic achievement.

They are Lori Castro, an All-CIF Southern Section third team selection at Bonita High in La Verne last season, and Jose Perez, an All-Southern Section first team choice and Montview League most valuable player.

Both will receive $1,000 scholarships.