Titans Hope Experience Will Pay Off on the Soccer Field

The Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer team finished 14-5 last season, and Coach Al Mistri thinks the Titans should be improved this year.

“We’re deeper and more experienced,” Mistri said.

The Titans open play this weekend in the Fila Classic at Titan Stadium. Fullerton plays Rutgers Friday, then meets Southern Methodist Sunday. Both matches start at 7 p.m.

Two of the team’s top players from last season, Antonio Martinez and Colby Jackson, completed their eligibility, but the Titans have several front-line players returning.

Senior forwards Duncan Oughton and Art Ramirez return along with defender Ray Ramirez and midfielder Shaun Higgins. Oughton was the team’s top scorer last season with 22 points, and Higgins had 19. Ray Ramirez is a member of the U.S. under-21 national team.

The Titans also will get a boost from the return of junior goalkeeper Sean Rockwell, who was sidelined last season because of a knee injury in preseason practice. Senior Scott Alexander, who took over in goal last season, also is back.

Junior midfielder Walter Camargo, who had to sit out last season after transferring from UC Irvine, is expected to add strength to the lineup. He was Irvine’s top scorer in 1997 as a freshman.

The Titans will be competing again in the realigned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which has an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. However, the Pacific 10 Conference schools that had been in the alignment have dropped out, and the Big West plans to have its own league for men’s soccer beginning in 2001.

Despite a good overall record and a second-place finish behind UCLA in the MPSF Pacific Division last season, the Titans weren’t selected for an at-large berth in the NCAA playoffs after late-season losses to Virginia and UCLA.

“We were disappointed we didn’t make the playoffs,” Mistri said. “But the only way you can be sure of doing that is to win the automatic berth.”

UC IRVINE HOPEFUL

UC Irvine, which opens its men’s soccer season Saturday by hosting Concordia at 7 p.m., returns 10 starters from last year’s 8-11-1 team, including its leading scorer, junior Eric Monterastelli.

“We feel confident in this group,” sixth-year Coach George Kuntz said. “We have a number of players who have one season under their belts. We had one year to work with them and the attitude is tremendous and the work rate is great.”

Kuntz signed 10 high school players and several of them could have an immediate impact, he said.

Monterastelli scored 10 goals and had three assists in 1999. Senior goalkeeper Tyler Reid, who had four shutouts, returns, as do junior defender Marcus Fernandez and sophomore midfielder Jon Spencer, who had five goals and three assists.

“Those are guys who have really worked extremely hard to lead this team,” Kuntz said. “We believe we have a realistic chance [to win the conference title].” The Anteaters play their first four games at home, then hit the road for a pair of nonconference games against Washington (Sept. 14) and Oregon State (Sept. 16) in the Washington tournament. They return Sept. 21 to host UCLA. Their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener is Oct. 8 at home against Cal State Fullerton.

TITAN VOLLEYBALL OPENER

The Cal State Fullerton women’s volleyball team opens its season in the Four Points Titan Classic Friday with nine letter-winners back from last year’s team that was 7-22.

The Titans play Idaho State at 4:30 p.m. Friday, then meet Fordham at 1 p.m. and San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Jamie Ivers and Megan Sabo return at outside hitter after finishing in the top 10 in kills in the Big West last season.

Leilani Williamsen and freshman Jaclyn Owen are expected to be the top hitters on the right side.

Middle blocker Katie Crawford has been slowed by a shoulder injury, and Be Holcombe is expected to be the starter early in the season.

The Titans have good depth at setter with Kim Levey and Krista Bebernes returning. Freshman Renee Vignery also is available to play setter or be a defensive specialist.

Mary Ellen Murchison is in her ninth season as coach.

NOTEWORTHY

Concordia’s soccer team posted a 2-18 record in 1999 and has 12 freshmen and a junior college transfer to go along with eight returners.

“I think this is one of the deepest and most talented recruiting classes in Concordia soccer history,” second-year Coach Greg Morales said.

Morales said his biggest goal has been to stabilize a program that has had four coaches in the last five years.

“We’re done having terribly down years in the men’s soccer program,” Morales said.

Irvine’s Kuntz feels that Morales is on the right track and believes that the NAIA team will give the Anteaters a good contest. Concordia scored only 19 goals last season but returns sophomore Trevor Bermudez, senior Gabe Romero and junior Aaron Hazen at forward, and has freshmen Justin Lang (El Toro High) and Bret Weyer (La Habra High).

Senior Brad Olson and junior Tetsu Naito are returning starters at midfield.

Sophomores Michael Wennermo and Derek Mantey were two of the Eagles’ top defenders last season.

Freshman Ryan Hopkins (Huntington Beach High) is expected to start at goalkeeper.

The Golden State Athletic Conference opener is Sept. 26 at Vanguard, which returns nine starters, including leading scorer Diego Goni.

Home openers have been tough on Chapman and the NCAA Division III Panthers will have their work cut out for them again when they host Puget Sound of Tacoma, Wash., ranked No. 6 in Division II, at 7 p.m. Friday.

“Ever since I have been here, we have never won a home opener,” fifth-year Coach Eddie Carrillo said.

Returning senior midfielder Scott Martino, who set a school record last year for total points with 17 goals and 16 assists, leads a veteran group. All four defenders and two goalkeepers from last year’s team, which shut out six of its final 10 opponents, return.

Also back is sophomore Nick Tolman. He was second in scoring in 1998, but missed most of last season with a knee injury.

Times staff writer Paul McLeod contributed to this report.