THIS WEEK...
Washington State at Cal State Fullerton
Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 | 6:00 p.m.
Titan Stadium (10,000)
Fullerton, Calif.
Cal State Fullerton at USC
Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 | 3 p.m.
McAlister Field (1,000)
Los Angeles, Calif.
Complete Release 
Big West Release #5
KICK OFF: Rebounding nicely after only its second loss of the season with an unbeaten weekend, the Cal State Fullerton women's soccer team will split its schedule and face-off against a pair of Pac-12 heavyweights this weekend. The Titans will host Washington State on Friday night (Sept. 20) at 6 p.m. at Titan Stadium, before hitting the road for the first time since their last defeat, heading to Los Angeles to take on USC and former head coach Ali Khosroshahin on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22) at 3 p.m., at McAlister Field.
IN THE POLLS: Both Washington State and USC are receiving votes in the NSCAA (6 and 21, respectively) and Soccer Times (3 and 4, respectively) national polls this week. Cal State Fullerton is unranked.
BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (CSUF.Athletics) and Twitter (@FullertonTitans). In addition, the women's soccer team has established its own Facebook and Twitter presence. Search for "Cal State Fullerton Women's Soccer" on Facebook or follow them on Twitter at @CSUF_WSoccer.
"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?": Thanks to a partnership with Arizona-based Stretch Internet, Cal State Fullerton's home matches, as well as selected road contests, can be heard live over the Internet at FullertonTitans.com. Veteran broadcaster Mike Martinez will have the play-by-play. To access the links, click on the headphones icon in the upper right-hand corner of the newly redesigned FullertonTitans.com and enjoy the action.
"CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?": For the sixth consecutive year, institutions will air select matches on BigWest.TV, including all Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara women's soccer contests. For the 2013 season, all BigWest.TV events will air free of charge. Head to www.bigwest.org/thisweek for weekly event schedules.
BigWest.TV brings together live and on-demand video from each of the Big West's nine member institutions. Now in its ninth year, BigWest.TV covers Big West sports, press conferences, interviews and features, including every home and conference contest in women's volleyball as well as men's and women's basketball. Also covered are select contests in men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball and Big West Conference Championships.
I NEED STATS, STAT!: Live stats will be available for all of Cal State Fullerton's home matches and selected road contests throughout the year. Follow along by accessing the links on the women's soccer schedule page at FullertonTitans.com.
"O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!": Cal State Fullerton junior midfielder Chelsey Patterson has been named team captain for the 2013 season.
TV TIME FOR TITAN STADIUM: For the second consecutive season, it was announced that the championship match of this year's Big West Conference women's soccer tournament hosted by Cal State Fullerton at Titan Stadium would be televised live on FOX Sports PrimeTicket at 1 p.m. on Nov. 10. Last year, the Titans and Cal State Northridge battled it out in front of the network's cameras at UC Irvine's Anteater Stadium, a match eventually won by the Matadors, 1-0, in overtime. It will be the first televised collegiate women's soccer match at Titan Stadium since Oct. 25, 2006, when Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State clashed on the Fox Soccer Channel.
WASHINGTON STATE BRIEFLY: The Cougars enter the weekend unbeaten at 5-0-2 overall, having defeated UNLV, 2-0, and batting to a 2-2 draw wat Oklahoma State last week... Washington State is 1-0-2 on the road this season, adding a win over Seattle in the season opener (3-1) and a scoreless draw at Boise State... the Cougars, like the Titans this season, have been stingy on defense, allowing only three goals in seven matches, but their offense has been decidedly more potent, scoring 14 times to only five goals for Fullerton... senior forward Micaela Castain leads Washington State with eight goals and three assists (19 points) -- one of only five players who have scored this season for the Cougars, who have outshot opponents by a count of 112-38... junior goalkeeper Gurveen Clair has posted a 0.43 goals against average to go with 10 saves and four shutouts in seven starts.
USC BRIEFLY: The Women of Troy bounced back from their first two losses of the season with a 5-1 thumping of Loyola Marymount on Sunday (Sept. 15) at home and enter the weekend at 4-2-1 overall on the season... USC plays host to Florida Atlantic on Thursday (Sept. 19) before welcoming the Titans to McAlister Field... Women of Troy head coach Ali Khosroshahin was Cal State Fullerton's head coach from 2001-06 before leading USC to the 2007 NCAA National Championship in his first season at Troy... senior forward Elizabeth Eddy leads the team with five goals while newcomer Kayla Mills is the team's leading scorer with 11 points on three goals and five assists... junior goalkeeper Caroline Stanley has posted a 0.86 goals against average and 24 saves in seven matches this season, playing all but 28 minutes on the season.
SERIES NOTES: Friday's meeting with Washington State will only be the second in the history of the two women's soccer programs, but the first since the 1998 campaign when Cal State Fullerton posted a 2-1 victory at a neutral site in Logan, Utah ••• the Titans trail in the series with Southern California rival USC, 2-6-3, having lost the last two meetings to the Women of Troy in 2009 (4-0 at San Diego) and 2012 (3-2 at home)... Fullerton has not posted a win over USC since the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament at Titan Stadium by a 3-1 score... Sunday will mark only the fourth meeting in Los Angeles with the Women of Troy holding a 1-0-2 edge... the last trip to USC's home field resulted in a 6-0 victory for the Women of Troy in 1997.
"PAC"-ING IT IN: Cal State Fullerton is 10-24-10 (.341) all-time against the current Pac-12 Conference alignment, including an 0-0-1 mark this year after a scoreless draw with Utah on Aug. 30. The Titans are winless in their last seven meetings (0-3-4) with Pac-12 schools dating back to a 3-2 win in overtime over then-No. 15 California on the road on Aug. 29, 2008. Fullerton hasn't won at home against a Pac-12 school since a 2-1 double-overtime victory over the then No. 14-ranked Golden Bears on Sept. 14, 2007.
GOOSE EGGS: Sunday's scoreless draw with Utah State marked Fullerton's second 0-0 result of the 2013 season -- the first time that has happened since 2009 (vs. New Mexico and CSU Bakersfield) and the ninth such occurrence (the eighth at Titan Stadium) in the 404-match history of the program.
WOMEN'S SOCCER SCORELESS DRAWS
Oct. 1, 2004 vs. UC Riverside
Sept. 3, 2006 at #10 California
Oct. 15, 2006 vs. Cal Poly
Nov. 11, 2007 vs. Cal Poly
Oct. 1, 2009 vs. CSU Bakersfield
Oct. 25, 2009 vs. New Mexico
Aug. 19, 2011 vs. Utah
Aug. 30, 2013 vs. Utah
Sept. 15, 2013 vs. Utah State
THIS IS GETTING TO BE A HABIT: Senior goalkeeper Lindsey Maricic notched a pair of shutouts over the weekend against LMU and Utah State, giving her four for the season -- which ranks in a tie for 10th on the school's single-season list -- and 15 for her career -- a total that solidifies her hold on the No. 2 spot on the all-time chart. She stands 11 clean sheets behind Karen Bardsley (2002-06) for the all-time record and just six back of Bardsley (10 in 2005) for the top spot on the single-season list.
I'M A FAN!: Special thanks to the 1,176 fans in attendance for Friday night's win over Loyola Marymount -- the sixth-largest attendance total and the 10th to top 1,000 fans in the history of the program. It was the largest attendance figure for a Titan women's soccer home match since 1,182 fans watched Fullerton battle in-county rival UC Irvine on Sept. 28, 2012.
NO TWINE TICKLING HERE: After amassing a shutout streak of 273:29 prior to letting one in at Texas Tech (good for the 10th-longest stretch in school history), Maricic is back at it, having not allowed a goal in her last 228:12 and allowing just four goals all season long. As a team, the Titans have allowed just one goal in their last 592:01 dating back to the second half of the season opener against then-No. 6 BYU.
CHAPMAN COMES UP CLUTCH: After missing the first five matches of the season due to injury, junior Brianna Chapman shrugged off any "Friday the 13th" superstitions and looped home the game-winning goal in the 89th minute to beat Loyola Marymount on Friday night. It was her first career score (and first career game-winner) to go with her first two career assists last season.
CHANGE OF FORTUNE: After being shutout just once in 20 matches all of last season, the Titans' offense has taken some time to find its legs, held to just five goals in its first seven matches -- including three shutouts. It is the slowest start for a Fullerton offense since 2009 when the Titans were held to the same number of goals in the same number of matches to start the season en route to a program record-low 13 goals that year.
HOME COOKING: Fullerton remained unbeaten (3-0-2) at home with its performances last week and has not lost in its last six home contests dating back to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 19, 2012.
DOUBLE THE OVERTIME, DOUBLE THE FUN: Cal State Fullerton's two trips to overtime this season have resulted in scoreless draws at home, keeping alive a streak that has seen the Titans go unbeaten in their last 23 straight such matches, posting an 8-0-15 mark in those contests. Fullerton is 22-28-31(.463) overall in overtime, including an 11-13-31 (.482) mark in double overtime in the history of the program.
"THIS" CLOSE: Five of Cal State Fullerton's seven matches this season have been decided by a single goal or fewer, save for a 3-1 loss at No. 6 BYU in the season opener on Aug. 23 and a 2-0 win over Montana on Sept. 1 at home.
NOT FOR A LACK OF TRYING: The Titans rank last in the Big West Conference in numerous offensive categories, but it isn't for a lack of effort as they stand third in the league in shots (101) -- one of only three schools in the conference with over 100 shots thus far (Cal State Northridge with 105 and UC Santa Barbara with 104) and have logged double digits in that category in five of their seven contests this season -- including a season-high 25 attempts in a win over Montana.
DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP): While the offense has struggled, Fullerton's defense is one of the best in the league, ranking atop the league statistical rankings in fewest goals allowed (4), goals against average (0.54), and shutouts (5), while standing third in saves (33). If they keep this up, the Titans could challenge the school records for fewest goals allowed in a season (15 in 2005) and shutouts in a single-season (12 in 2005).
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: How does the Titans' defense stand up nationally, you ask? Among all 323 NCAA programs, the Titans rank ninth in the country in shutout percentage (.714), No. 19 in save percentage (.892), and No. 31 in goals against average (0.54).
BE AGGRESSIVE, B-E AGGRESSIVE: Cal State Fullerton, whistled for a conference-high 93 fouls to start the season, has been the aggressor on the pitch thus far, racking up five matches with 10 or more fouls and leading the opposition in that category in six of its seven contests this season -- including a season-high 27 fouls on Sept. 15 against Utah State. Only Fresno State (23-11) has "out-fouled" the Titans this season, but to no avail, falling 1-0 to Fullerton back on Aug. 25.
MARICIC MOVING UP THE CHARTS: In other categories, Maricic's six saves last week gave her 171 for her career, solidifying her hold on the No. 4 spot and putting her 19 saves back of Suzy Strazzulla for third place. Maricic also enters the week also ranked among the school's top five in saves per game (5th - 3.72), save percentage (2nd - .784), goals against average (3rd - 1.00), wins (4th - 20), and minutes played (3rd - 4,249). Her six ties are also the most by a Fullerton goalkeeper in school history.