Oct. 28, 2005
FULLERTON, CA -
Cal State Fullerton clinched at least a share of its second consecutive Big West Conference regular season women's soccer championship Friday night with a 2-0 victory over UC Irvine.
Goals in each half by Erica Peschken and Rebekah Patrick produced the win, which coupled with UC Riverside's tie with Long Beach State earlier in the day, left the Titans and Highlanders tied with 15 points each. Fullerton has one more conference game, Sunday at Long Beach State, and needs only a tie to claim the title outright and earn the host's role for next weekend's Big West Conference Tournament.
If Fullerton loses Sunday, UCR will host by virtue of its 1-0 win over Fullerton in the conference opener on Oct. 2.
Fullerton improved to 14-3-0 overall and 5-1 in the Big West with its sixth consecutive win. UC Irvine finishes its season 5-12-2 and 1-5-1 as Marine Cano coached his final game with the Anteaters.
Fullerton dominated UCI, taking 17 shots to the visitors' 2. CSF goalkeeper Karen Bardsley didn't need to make a save in logging her eighth shutout. The Titans' posted their ninth shutout of the year, a single-season record.
Peschken took a short lead pass fom Erica Janke to beat UCI keeper Erin Henry in the 39th minute. Patrick's goal came in the fourth minute of the second half after a loose ball in front of second-half UCI keeper Rosie Aguilera. Patrick also had two shots hit the crossbar.
The top four teams in the standings begin the Big West Tournament on Friday, Nov. 4. The winners of the two games meet Sunday for an automatic berth into the NCAA Playoffs.
Fullerton twice has won regular-season titles in the past and failed to win the post-season tourney. The Titans' only previous NCAA berth came in 2001 when there was no post-season tourney and the Titans won the regular season title.