Weekly Release (PDF)

Denver at Cal State Fullerton
Friday, Aug. 29, 2014 | 7:00 PM
Titan Stadium • Fullerton, Calif.

Georgia at Cal State Fullerton
Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014 | 1:00 PM
Titan Stadium • Fullerton, Calif.

THIS WEEK
Cal State Fullerton's four-match homestand to start the 2014 season continues at Titan Stadium this weekend as the Titans host Denver at 7 p.m., Friday, and Georgia at 1 p.m., Sunday.

PROMOTIONS & TICKETS
Cal State Fullerton students receive free admission to Titan home games with their Titan I.D. card.
Additional ticket information can be found by clicking HERE.

OPPONENTS & HISTORY
Denver | 7 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 29 | Titan Stadium
Denver enters Friday's match with an identical record as the Titans: 0-1-1. The Pioneers opened their season with a 1-1 tie at Nevada before suffering a 3-2 loss at Colorado College.
Joselyn Loomis and Lauren Conley each scored a goal last week for Denver.
The Titans and Pioneers have met just once before, with Denver recording a 1-0 victory at Titan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2001.
Connections: Current Cal State Fullerton assistant coach Michael Thomas served as an assistant coach at Denver (2002-07), helping lead the University of Denver to four NCAA Tournament appearances in six seasons. He helped the team to a 90-25-12 record during that time. 
Look Back: Champions of the Summit League in 2013, Denver finished last season with an RPI of 17 as well as a No. 24 final ranking in the NSCAA final top 25 poll. The Pioneers completed league play with an undefeated record of 7-0 claiming the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. Denver completed its season with a record of 18-2-1 and suffered a 1-0 loss to Colorado in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Georgia | 1 p.m. | Sunday Aug. 31 | Titan Stadium
Sunday's match marks the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Titans as Georgia finished the 2013 season with a record of 12-7-1 overall and a 5-5-1 mark in the SEC, resulting in a final RPI of 48. Fullerton last played an opponent from the SEC on Sept. 12, 2010 at Titan Stadium, suffering a 2-0 loss to Auburn.
Last week, as part of the first live match on the SEC Network, Georgia played to a 1-1 tie at Ole Miss in not only the team's season opener, but conference opener as well.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs returned home and secured a 3-0 shutout over UNC Greensboro as Gabby Seiler leads the team with two goals and one assist.

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.

THE STUDENT CHALLENGE
Head coach Demian Brown has issued a challenge for the Oct. 9 match against rival Long Beach State. If 500 or more CSF students fill in Titan Stadium, Brown has pledged to wear the "Tuffy" costume at a men's basketball game for the 2014-15 season. More details about the Oct. 9 doubleheader will be released soon, but a Thunderstick giveaway is scheduled.

SEASON OPENERS
Cal State Fullerton is now 6-14-2 in season openers and 7-13-2 in home openers.

SUNDAY'S SHUTOUT
Sunday's 1-0 loss to Michigan State ended Cal State Fullerton's eight-match undefeated streak at Titan Stadium, which dated back to Sept. 29, 2013.

RECORD BREAKERS
Fullerton fans set a new record as 1,365 onlookers were in attendance – the second largest crowd to attend a Cal State Fullerton women's soccer match - and the largest for a home opener.

A GAME OF FIRSTS
Sophomore Ivy Diego took only one shot on goal on Friday, but she made it count, scoring her first Titan career goal and providing the equalizer in the 83rd minute during Fullerton's 1-1 tie with then No. 22 BYU.
In addition, freshman Morgan Bertsch made her first career start in goal for the Titans on Friday, while on the pitch Amanda Howard, Connie Caliz and Serena Smith-Banas also made their first Titan career starts, respectively.

OLD HABITS DIE HARD
In 2013, it was almost routine for the Titans to play an overtime period, entering extra time play on 10 occasions  -- one shy of their NCAA record-tying 11 overtime matches in 2011.
The trend may continue in 2014 as Fullerton's first match of the year lasted the full 110 minutes.
The Titans were unbeaten in overtime (3-0-7) in 2013, and are 13-10-22  in extra time during Head Coach Demian Brown's eight seasons. 

ANOTHER STAT CARRIES OVER FROM 2013
Cal State Fullerton made it a habit of scoring late last season, netting nine of its 18 goals -- three of those going for "golden goal" game-winners -- in the 70th minute or later.
Fullerton's first goal of the year was scored by sophomore Ivy Diego in the 83rd minute of Friday's match vs. BYU.

"O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!"
Cal State Fullerton senior midfielder Chelsey Patterson will serve as team captain for the third straight season along with junior defender Morgan Batcheller and junior forward Rebecca Wilson.

ROAD MAP
The 2013 Big West Tournament Champions will return to the pitch in 2014 with a challenging schedule as four of their opponents completed last year in the top-75 of RPI, while two competed in the NCAA Tournament.

A NEW LOOK
Entering the 2014 season, Cal State Fullerton has a strong combination of newcomers and returners on its roster. The Titans return 13 letterwinners from last year's championship squad while welcoming 11 newcomers and four returning redshirts. Of Fullerton's 13 returners, five were starters last season including NSCAA All-Region selection Morgan Batcheller, Big West Second Team pick and team captain Chelsey Patterson and Big West All-Freshman team selection Jazzmin Mancilla. Junior forward Christina Burkenroad returns as the team's leading scorer with two goals and one assist from last year, while senior Colleen Ortega returns to the backline after starting 22 matches a year ago.

BY THE NUMBERS
Cal State Fullerton totaled 51 points last season (18 goals/15 assists) and will need to replace 57 percent of that production as top scorers Erica Mazeau (4 goals, 6 assists), Nikki McCants (3 goals) and Janali West (2 goals, 2 assists) have graduated.

TIME FOR REFLECTION
The Titans clinched the Big West Conference's 2013 automatic NCAA Tournament berth after winning their fourth league tournament championship on Nov. 10, 2013, courtesy of a 2-1 advantage in a penalty kick shootout against UC Riverside after the teams battled to a 1-1 draw following 110 minutes of regulation (90) and overtime (20).
Titan goalkeeper and Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player Katie Pulliam made three stops during the shootout, after saving two Cal Poly penalty kicks in the semifinals on Nov. 7. The Titans, the No. 4 and lowest seed at the Big West Tournament,  ousted the No. 1 seeded Mustangs on Nov. 7 after the match ended in a 1-1 tie after 110 minutes, and the Titans advanced 4-3 on penalty kicks. 
Fullerton was hosting the tournament at Titan Stadium after winning the 2012 Big West regular season championship.
The Titans' last Big West Tournament title came in 2007, the last time the event was held at Titan Stadium. 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Cal State Fullerton completed the 2013 season with a record of  7-1-5 at Titan Stadium. The Titans' seven home wins mark the most for the program since the 2005 team finished the season 10-1-0 in Fullerton. 

"THIS" CLOSE
Twenty of Cal State Fullerton's 22 matches in 2013 were 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.

DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP)
Fullerton's 2013 defense emerged as one of the best in the league, ranking atop the Big West statistical rankings in fewest goals allowed (17), goals against average (0.71), and saves (113), while standing tied for third in shutouts (7). 

TV TIME
For the third consecutive season, it was announced that the championship match of this year's Big West Conference women's soccer tournament hosted by Cal Poly would be televised live on FOX Sports PrimeTicket at 1 p.m. on Nov. 9. 

TITANS CLAIM BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
Defending Big West Tournament champion Cal State Fullerton is out to claim three consecutive crowns in 2014 after the Titans clinched their fourth Big West tournament title in school history and earned the league's automatic NCAA postseason berth in 2013. In 2012, Fullerton won its sixth Big West regular season championship in school history, trailing only Cal Poly (7). It was Fullerton's fourth solo crown after sharing the top spot in 2004 and 2007, the program's fifth in the last 12 seasons, and the second under Head Coach Demian Brown.

STAFF CHANGE
Fullerton's coaching staff remains largely intact for 2014 with one exception as Michael Thomas joins the staff following the departure of Diego Bocanegra, who accepted a position at Notre Dame. Prior to joining the Titan staff, Thomas served as head coach at the University of Buffalo for six years (2008-13). During his tenure with the Bulls, he tutored 12 Mid-American all-conference, all-tournament and all-academic honorees, fielding his most successful squad in 2011.

A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Sophomore Nicole Ulrich and junior Alyssa Cabral will be carrying on a tradition of sorts in 2014 as their No. 2 and No. 5 jerseys are the only two numbers in the history of the Fullerton program to be worn every season since the program began in 1993.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Cal State Fullerton, the defending Big West Tournament Champion, was picked to finish fourth in Big West Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, while Cal Poly was selected to repeat as the regular season champion with six first-place votes. 
UC Irvine received two first-place votes with 64 points while Long Beach State collected 59 points for third place. Cal State Fullerton received a first-place vote of its own and finished out the top four teams with 58 points. 
Hawai'i (37 points), UC Santa Barbara (30), CSUN (27), UC Davis (27) and UC Riverside (26) rounded out the preseason poll.
Senior midfielder and captain Chelsey Patterson was named to the Big West Preseason All-Conference Team after earning second team all-league honors in 2013.