On April 28, 1950, Cal Poly hosted Fresno State for a friendly as part of the Country Fair on a College Campus event, marking the first-ever time soccer had been played on campus during Poly Royal.[3] By 1954, the campus' International Relations Club sponsored the team, which defeated UCLA in an exhibition match on campus.[4] In 1955, then-coach Hans Mager commented he "hope(d) to obtain some backing from the (athletic department) funds" in order to expand the team's schedule.[5] Later in 1955, Cal Poly won the regional Southern California Championship, advancing to face San Francisco for the state title.[6] The team took a hiatus from 1957 through 1959, returning in 1960 (playing only two matches) under the coaching of Anatol Hellman.[7]
1967-68: First intercollegiate teams and the SCCSA
By the 1966–1967 academic year, the Cal Poly Student Affairs Council began discussing an appropriation of a fund to allow the Mustangs to join the NCAA.[8] In July 1967, then-athletic director Robert Mott announced the addition of soccer after the council recognized the sport on a varsity level during the spring.[9]
In the fall of 1967, Cal Poly (coached by Terry Ward) fielded its first intercollegiate team, going 7–2–1 while finishing second in the Southern California Collegiate Soccer Association. Erwin Hildenhagen, Richard Kibushi, Luis Mejia and Dieter Thomas earned all-conference selections.[10]
Cal Poly enjoyed its second year in the SCCSA in the fall of 1968, again finishing in second place (behind UCLA), this time with a 7–2–2 record[11] under coach Mike Cirovic.
The first two seasons also saw the start of the since-fabled Blue-Green Rivalry (not formally called such at the time) with UC Santa Barbara, as Cal Poly won the very first matchup, at home, 2–0,[12] before losing on the road to the Gauchos later in 1967, 2–1. The two Central Coast rivals split a pair of matchups again in 1968. Each of the initial two intercollegiate seasons also included Cal Poly's first matchups with coastal power UCLA, resulting in a 2–2 draw in 1967 before a 1–1 stalemate in 1968, as both matches became the Bruins' only ties in the span.[13]
Following the 1968 season, Cal Poly's Ivan Gomez, Mejia and Vincent Gondwe made the all-conference honors list.[14]
1969 to 1978: Play resumes in the SCISA
Scheduling consistently proved to be more sporadic in immediately ensuing seasons, beginning with a 5–5 record in 1969, before the 1970 squad (coached by Bill Wesnousky[15]) opened practice more than a week into October, leading to an abbreviated 2–4–0 season.[16] Cal Poly didn't field a team in 1971,[17] before Carmen Sacco assumed coaching duties from 1972 to 1974. The Mustangs' conference had a slight name change by this point, to: Southern California Intercollegiate Soccer Association.[18]
In seasons to follow, Cal Poly was managed by Manuel Casillas (1975[19] and 1976[20]), George Parry (1977,[21] during a 4-4-1[22] year) and Tom Hinkle (1978[23]). One of the standouts from this time was Jaime Saucedo, who went on to be chosen with the 84th overall pick by the L.A. Aztecs in the 1981 NASL Draft.
1979 to 2005: Wolfgang Gartner era
Wolfgang Gartner, following a three-year career playing as a midfielder in the ASL,[24] was appointed as Cal Poly head coach prior to the 1979 season, with the position becoming full-time in 1983.[25]
Curt Apsey tallied 52 goals for the Mustangs from 1980 to 1983, establishing the school's career scoring record.[26]
In 1986, Dan Campbell set the school's single-season scoring record[27] with 21 goals.[28] The 21-goal mark for a season broke the previous yearly record of 20[29] which had been set by Tom Gleason in 1982.[30] Campbell would go on to also finish his career with 52 goals, wrapping his career up in the fall of 1988 by tying the Cal Poly all-time scoring record.[31]
The 1993 season was perhaps the club's most successful while in Division II of the NCAA. Dan Fish was awarded the California Collegiate Athletic Association's Offensive Player of the Year award, the program's first,[32] while Gartner was named the conference's Coach of the Year. It was Gartner's second Coach of the Year award, with the other coming in 1986.[32] The 1993 season also featured MLS-bound Ryshiem Henderson, whom Gartner called "the fastest soccer player I have ever seen in my life."[33]
Paul Holocher, former MLS draft pick and brief USMNT-rostered attacking midfielder, was introduced as the Mustangs' new head coach on January 27, 2006.
In 2006, with then-Spanos Stadium still under construction, Cal Poly played its home soccer games at the Sports Complex,[35][36] north of the baseball and softball fields, now known as the turf fields.[37] 2007 brought the completion of the renovation and expansion of Mustang Memorial Field Presented by Dignity Health French Hospital Medical Center and the ability to host larger crowds.[38]
Posting a record in 2008 of 11–6–6, Cal Poly placed third in the Big West and qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament. Cal Poly managed to upset No. 11-ranked UCLA, 1–0, to advance to the second round before losing 0–3 to No. 14 UC Irvine.
After eight years as head coach, Holocher announced on August 11, 2014, that he had stepped down to move to Hawai'i and serve as the Director of Development with Maui United Soccer Club.[39] In eight seasons, Holocher directed the Mustangs to a 72–60–25 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance, Cal Poly's second since joining Division I in 1994. Phil Ruskin, a second-year assistant coach, was promoted to be the interim head coach upon Holocher's departure, and coached the 2014 season.[40]
2015 to 2022: Steve Sampson era
In December 2014, Cal Poly hired former United States Men's National Soccer Team Head Coach Steve Sampson. Sampson led the US in the 1998 World Cup and also served as an assistant coach in the 1994 World Cup. He coached Santa Clara to the 1989 national championship and coached the LA Galaxy to the 2005 MLS Cup and the US Open Cup.[41]
The Mustangs returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 following the program's first Big West Tournament match victory.[42] The season saw Cal Poly peak at No. 20 in the national Top 25 Poll on October 27.[43]
During the 2015 season, midfielder Chase Minter scored on a bicycle kick at CSUN, earning TopDrawerSoccer's national college Goal of the Week award.[44] Months after the 2015 season, Cal Poly saw three players chosen in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, tied for the seventh-most draft choices from one school across the country for the year.[45] Cal Poly made return trips to the conference tournament in 2019 and 2021.[46]
Sampson, citing health reasons with the advice of his doctors, announced an immediate retirement from coaching on October 18, 2022.[47] While lead assistant Billy McNicol was appointed to coach in Sampson's place for the remainder of the 2022 season, the university announced a pending national search to find his successor.[48]
2022 to present: Oige Kennedy takes the helm
Cal Poly announced lead Stanford assistant Oige Kennedy as the program's new head coach on December 9, 2022.[49]
Record attendance
Alex G. Spanos Stadium annually hosts Cal Poly soccer matches.
Cal Poly hosted a "Break the Attendance Record Night" for the 2008 edition of the Blue-Green Rivalry against 19th-ranked UCSB.[50] The official attendance of 11,075 not only broke the school record and the conference attendance record, but it was also the second-largest on-campus, regular-season attendance in NCAA history, and the largest in over 21 years.
Attendance records have continued to be broken as Cal Poly has continually been ranked in the top 5 nationally in average home attendance.[51][52][53]
As a result of the boom in attendance, Cal Poly has made national headlines. In 2011, then-Alex G. Spanos Stadium was named the "Men's Soccer College Venue you must check out"[54] in a 2010 New York Times article about the growth of college soccer. The rivalry between Cal Poly and UCSB has been called the biggest college soccer rivalry in the country by SoccerAmerica,[55] the "Greatest" by College Soccer News[56] and was mentioned in a 2011 NCAA article about rivalries.[57]
In addition, the stadium was selected as the No. 1 Men's Soccer Venue to check out by the NCAA in 2011.[54]
Cal Poly men's soccer professionals
Players noted below, with years at Cal Poly in parentheses, have received at least one professional cap at any professional level in any country or have earned a senior international cap.
Beginning with the 2008 season, the Big West Conference instituted a conference tournament to determine the winner of the NCAA automatic bid instead of awarding it to the regular-season winner.
Chosen as the #1 "Greatest Rivalry In College Soccer" by CollegeSoccerNews.com, the main rival of the Cal Poly Mustangs men's soccer team is the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team.[90] The rivalry is a part of the larger Blue–Green Rivalry, which encompasses all sports from the two schools. With both schools located on the Central Coast less than 100 miles apart, attendance has risen dramatically following the Gauchos' 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The crowds of these games are record-setting and are among the highest regular season games in NCAA college soccer history.
In 2011, CollegeSoccerNews.com chose the Cal Poly vs. UCSB soccer game as the No. 1 rivalry in all of college soccer.[56]
During the 2012 season, Cal Poly swept the Gauchos, first winning 1–0 in front of a sell-out of 11,075 in San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly then completed the sweep, defeating UCSB 2–1 in overtime. Cal Poly's George Malki scored with 64 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Big West Conference Play of the Year, Mackenzie Pridham, then scored the game-winning game in overtime. Cal Poly students stormed the field at Harder Stadium. The game was once again broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.[91][92]
NCAA postseason
The Cal Poly Mustangs have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 1–3 through three appearances and have never advanced past the second round.[93] In Division II NCAA Tournament competition, Cal Poly qualified in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993, although the 1991 appearance was later vacated due to a rules violation.
The Robert A. Mott Athletics Center is a 3,032-seat, indoor multi-purpose arena on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.
Mustang Memorial Field, formerly known as Mustang Stadium and then Alex G. Spanos Stadium, is an 11,075-seat multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the home field of the Cal Poly Mustangs football and soccer teams.
Paul Holocher is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who played in Austria and Major League Soccer. He also earned one caps with the U.S. national team in 1996. He was the Academy Director for MLS club Houston Dynamo.
The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is an annual rivalry college football game played between the UC Davis Aggies and the Cal Poly Mustangs.
Richard Emmet Ellerson is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Academy from 2009 to 2013. While at Cal Poly, Ellerson's teams won three conference championships and compiled a 56–34 record, giving him the third highest winning percentage of any football coach in school history.
The Cal Poly Mustangs are the football team representing California Polytechnic State University located in San Luis Obispo, California.
Robin Baggett Stadium is a baseball venue located on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. It is home to the Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team, a member of the Division I Big West Conference. The stadium is named for Robin Baggett, a former baseball player at Cal Poly.
The Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball team represents California Polytechnic State University, located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference. The Cal Poly men's basketball team's first season was 1907 and its first season as a four-year institution was 1941–42. The Mustangs are coached by John Smith and play their home games at Robert A. Mott Athletics Center.
The Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team represents California Polytechnic State University, which is located in San Luis Obispo, California. The Mustangs are an NCAA Division I college baseball program, and along with the other Cal Poly athletic teams with the exception of swimming, wrestling, indoor track and football, the baseball team competes in the Big West Conference.
The Cal Poly Mustangs are the athletic teams representing California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. The university fields twenty-one teams and compete in NCAA Division I; they are primarily members of the Big West Conference, but the football team plays in the Big Sky Conference, the wrestling team is an associate member of the Pac-12 Conference, and the swimming and diving program competes as an affiliate member in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Larry Patrick Lee is an American college baseball coach, currently serving as the head coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team. He began this job prior to the 2003 season.
Mackenzie Charles Pridham is a Canadian soccer player.
The Blue–Green Rivalry is the name of the rivalry between athletic teams from the University of California, Santa Barbara and California Polytechnic State University, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Cal Poly Mustangs. Athletic competition between the two schools began in the 1921 on the football field.
Steve Cisneros Palacios is an American retired soccer player who played as a midfielder. A native of San Clemente, California, he played on the varsity team at San Clemente High School. As a senior, Palacios helped the Tritons to the first CIF Southern Section championship in team history and was named the All-Orange County Player of the Year by the Orange County Register. He played college soccer at Cal Poly, appearing in 66 games over four years with the Mustangs.
The 1962 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State College—now known as California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1962 NCAA College Division football season. Led by first-year head coach Sheldon Harden, Cal Poly compiled an overall record of 4–5 with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the CCAA. The Mustangs played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.
The 1981 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1981 NCAA Division II football season. Led by Joe Harper in his 14th and final season as head coach, Cal Poly compiled an overall record of 4–5 with a mark of 0–2 in conference play, placing last out of three teams in the CCAA. The Mustangs played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.
Justin Dhillon is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive.
The 1996 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season.
The 1998 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season.
The 2001 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season.
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