SAN LUIS OBISPO – Following the lengthiest road trip of the 2009 campaign, the Cal Poly men’s soccer team returns to Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo to host Sacramento State (3-1-1) Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. and San Jose State (1-4-0) Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. Against Sacramento State, the Mustangs (0-4-0) – winless after four matches for the first time during their 16-year Division I history – seek not only the program’s first victory since last year’s NCAA Tournament, but their first lead of the season. Cal Poly hasn’t lost against either the Hornets or Spartans since dropping decisions against each during the 2002 campaign. Ryan Foran will handle play-by-play duties of Cal Poly’s match versus San Jose State (link above), with the pre-game show beginning at approximately 12:50 p.m.

FIRST TIME, LONG TIME AND ALL THE TIME: Cal Poly’s leader a year ago with eight goals, it seemed only fitting that junior forward David Zamora (above) recorded the program’s first score of the season with his 83rd-minute strike at Stanford Sept. 11. The Mustangs, however, have received their additional scoring punch from some unlikely sources. Sophomore defender Cameron Walters, who has started all 27 of Cal Poly’s matches as a collegian, notched his first career goal against the Cardinal in the 86th. Two days later at No. 11 California, junior defender Daniel Gay converted a 66th-minute penalty to tally his first goal since Nov. 18, 2007.

FORTRESS SPANOS: A 1-0 victory by UNLV Sept. 1 marked just Cal Poly’s third loss at Spanos Stadium since the venue’s 2007 christening. Cal Poly, 15-3-3 at Spanos Stadium through two-plus seasons, has recorded 10 victories via shutout while Mustang goalkeepers have kept 11 clean sheets at home. Additionally, Cal Poly has drawn 1,000-plus spectators during 11 of its previous 12 home matches.

AN UNLIKELY TREND: While Cal Poly’s break from the 2009 gate marks the program’s first 0-4 start to any Division I season, a current run of five-consecutive matches without a point is the lengthiest such stretch under fourth-year head coach Paul Holocher. The Mustangs, eliminated 3-0 by UC Irvine during the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament, haven’t taken a point since sweeping aside UCLA, 1-0, during the opening round of postseason play Nov. 21, 2008.

PLAYING FROM BEHIND: Not only have the Mustangs failed to lead at any point this season, but all three goals scored by Cal Poly have come past the 66th-minute mark and with the Mustangs facing a two-goal deficit. Defeats at Stanford Sept. 11 and at then-No. 11 California Sept. 13 marked the first time Cal Poly had yielded consecutive three-goal matches since Nov. 10 (at UC Davis, 3-2) and 16 (Portland, 4-3), 2007.

MUSTANGS FEATURE POWER-PACKED SCHEDULE: With six total matches looming against nationally-ranked conference sides UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, the Big West portion of Cal Poly’s schedule is amongst the most demanding in Division I. That didn’t stop Paul Holocher from compiling a testing non-conference schedule. Cal Poly entered its Sept. 5 match at Creighton against a Jays side that was ranked second in the nation while California was a consensus No. 11 during its Sept. 13 showdown against the Mustangs.

SIGLER NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST: Following a 2008 campaign in which he was named Co-Big West Freshman of the Year and helped anchor a defensive line that paced all conference programs with nine shutouts, Mustang center back Patrick Sigler was selected to the 38-member Hermann Trophy Watch List Aug. 11. Presented by the Missouri Athletic Club since 1967 to the most outstanding Division I player, the 38-member watch list will be cut to 15 in November with three finalists announced in early December. The 2009 Hermann Trophy recipient will be announced Jan. 8, 2010 during a banquet at the St. Louis-based Missouri Athletic Club. Sigler, the lone Big West player selected to the watch list, has started each of Cal Poly’s four matches this season and registered three shot attempts.

CAL POLY SELECTED THIRD IN BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL: A second place showing in the Big West standings last year was Cal Poly’s highest in seven affiliated seasons and conference head coaches selected the Mustangs for a similar finish during the 2009 campaign. Cal Poly received 34 points in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll to finish 11 votes shy of No. 1 UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos earned four first-place votes to finish five total points ahead of 2008 regular season and tournament champion UC Irvine, which recorded two first-place votes. The complete results of the coaches poll are below.

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

CAL POLY’S PROFESSIONAL OFFSEASON: A trio of former Mustangs inked professional contracts during the offseason, the most high profile of which was defender Anton Peterlin. The 2008 All-Big West first team selection joined Everton Football Club of England’s Barclays Premier League from Ventura County Fusion of the American fourth-tier Professional Developmental League on July 1 for an undisclosed fee. After appearing in a handful of preseason matches, Peterlin has come on as a substitute during each of Everton reserves’ three matches, most recently in a 2-0 loss at Hull City reserves Sept. 14. Everton reserves (1-0-2) are next home to Blackburn reserves Tuesday, Sept. 29. Joining Peterlin in the professional ranks are brothers Mario and Carlos Fernandez, who are both currently on one-year contracts with Spanish side Santa Pola CF. Mario made an immediate impact upon his arrival, notching the only goal for Santa Pola CF in a 1-0 August victory against Crevillente. Santa Pola CF competes in the fifth-tier Regional Preferente de la Comunitat Valenciana.

MARK YOUR CALENDERS: Arguably the most-intense rivalry in collegiate soccer, Cal Poly’s away leg of the 2009 central coast derby is scheduled for Oct. 7 at UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium. Last year’s match in Santa Barbara drew 9,749 fans while the home leg – scheduled this season for Nov. 4 in San Luis Obispo – produced a sellout crowd of 11,075 supporters. That figure was also the third-largest crowd in NCAA history.

LOOKING AHEAD (SEPT. 21-27): Cal Poly completes its pre-Big West schedule at the Washington-hosted Husky Fever Classic in Seattle. The Mustangs open the competition Friday, Sept. 25 against Portland at 4:30 p.m. before facing the Huskies Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Both matches will be played Husky Soccer Stadium. Washington (2-2-0) hosts Portland (2-1-1) Sept. 17 before playing at Denver Sept. 20.