SAN LUIS OBISPO – A year removed from producing the most significant season in program history, the Cal Poly men’s soccer team was selected for a third place showing in the Big West standings following the results of the preseason coaches poll, released Tuesday afternoon.

Cal Poly (11-6-6, 5-2-3 in 2008), which returns seven outfield starters and two All-Big West selections from a 2008 squad that matched the program record for total victories and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 seasons, received 34 points and finished 11 votes shy of No. 1 and central coast rival UC Santa Barbara (10-7-5, 5-2-3). The Gauchos earned four first-place votes to finish five total points ahead of 2008 regular season and tournament champion UC Irvine (15-2-6, 5-1-4), which recorded two first-place votes.

Cal State Northridge (8-7-4, 4-3-3) nabbed the final first-place vote and finished two points behind Cal Poly on 32. UC Davis (13-5-4, 4-2-4) finished fifth with 20 points while Cal State Fullerton (5-14-1, 2-7-1) and UC Riverside (4-15-1, 1-9-0) garnered, respectively, 13 and 12 points to prop up the table.

“The Big West is a terrific conference and has shown to be one of the best in the nation. There are no easy games in college soccer anymore because each team is coached well and has quality players,” fourth-year Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher said. “We expect nothing less than an exciting battle with each game we play and with the fact that everyone in the Big West will be fighting for one of the four places in the conference tournament. We’re a young team, but we also have a great group of returning players that are excited to compete and win the first Big West title in program history.”

The complete Big West preseason coaches poll is available below.

Cal Poly, which downed UCLA, 1-0, during the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament to earn the program’s initial postseason victory at the Division I level, opens training for the 2009 campaign Saturday, Aug. 15. The season-opening match versus UNLV is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The Mustangs will also host San Diego State for a Wednesday, Aug. 26 exhibition at 7 p.m.
 

1. UC Santa Barbara (4) – 45
2. UC Irvine (2) – 40
3. Cal Poly – 34
4. Cal State Northridge (1) – 32        
5. UC Davis – 20        
6. Cal State Fullerton – 13
7. UC Riverside – 12        
() First-place votes