Cal State Fullerton Game Notes 
| Grand Canyon Game Notes
| Big West Release
FULLERTON, Calif.--- The Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team will try and string together consecutive wins for the first time this season as it wraps up non-conference play at home with Grand Canyon this Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
There will be live video coverage available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. Grand Canyon. To access video for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the men's soccer schedule page then click the "video" link.
There will be live audio coverage available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. Grand Canyon. To access live audio for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the men's soccer schedule page then click the "audio" link.
There will be live stats available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. Grand Canyon. To access live stats for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the men's soccer schedule page then click the "live stats" link.
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A Look at the Series...
Cal State Fullerton vs. Gand Canyon
Overall Record 0-0-0
Home Record 0-0-0
Away Record 0-0-0
Neutral Site Record 0-0
Longest Win Streak N/A
Longest Losing Streak N/A
Current Streak N/A
Record in Last 10 Meetings N/A
First Meeting
N/A
Last Meeting
N/A
Series Notes: This will be the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
Analyzing the Antelopes
Grand Canyon is in the first year of a four-year transitional period as the Antelopes are in their first year as a Division I program...Grand Canyon is off to a 1-4-1 start, with its lone win coming against Nebraska-Omaha (2-1) in its season opener...Cal State Fullerton defeated Nebraska-Omaha 3-0 last Saturday...the Antelopes have been outscored 10-6 so far this season, averaging one goal per contest...Grand Canyon is led by Kyle Ciliento, as he is the team's top goal scorer (3) and point getter with seven overall....the Antelopes were picked to finish seventh in the WAC while receiving one first place vote according to the conference's preseason coaches poll.
Last Time Out For the Titans
Cal State Fullerton dominated the pitch for 90 minutes last Saturday, as the Titans blanked Nebraska-Omaha 3-0 at UNO Soccer Field, snapping what was a four-game losing skid.
For the Titans (2-5), the win snaps what was a five-game road losing streak going back to last season and is their first shutout road win since Sept. 16, 2011 at American (W, 3-0).
"The team finally played the way I felt it could have played all along today," said head coach Bob Ammann. "We've led in five of the seven games we have played this year, so it was nice to actually hold on and finish this one off."
"I'm confident that we'll see more performances like the one we saw today from this group."
Fullerton took control of the game early, as Garrett Losee recorded his first career goal in the third minute off of the free kick to give the Titans the 1-0 advantage.
The Titans received some insurance right before the half, as Amara Soumah scored his second goal of the season in the 42nd minute off of the Marc Fenelus assist, giving Fullerton a 2-0 at the break.
The final result was never in doubt the rest of the way, as Fullerton's dominance continued in the second 45 minute session, as the Titans outshot the Mavericks 13-12 for the game, while holding a 9-3 shot on goal advantage and winning the corner kick battle 7-1.
Fullerton added one more in the 76th minute, as Jaime Cano netted his first score of the season off a penalty kick to bring the final tally to 3-0.
In the Polls
Neither the Titans or the Antelopes are ranked in the top 25 by Top Drawer Soccer or the NSCAA...Fullerton is ranked 75th by Bennent Rank, while Grand Canyon is placed at 179th in the nation.
How We Rank
The Titans rank second in the Big West in saves (33), fourth in shot percentage (.108), and tied for fourth in goals for average (1.3).
Keeping Their Cool
After leading the Big West a year ago in yellow cards issued with 44 for the season, through seven matches the Titans are tied for the least amount of cards issued in the Big West with eight yellow cards...Fullerton didn't pick up its first caution until the third match of the season (Sept. 6 vs. Loyola Marymount).
Second Half Struggles
Cal State Fullerton has outscored opponents 6-3, and has a 21-12 corner kick advantage vs. the opposition in the first half this season. However, the Titans have been outscored (7-3), outshot (73-44), and have lost the corner kick battle 18-15 in the second half.
Oh So Close
Three of Fullerton's five losses this season have come by just one goal...In the three one-goal defeats, all three game-winning goals have come in the 73rd minute or later (73rd minute vs. Memphis, 106th minute at San Diego, and 96th minute at Cornell).
What's Trending
Cal State Fullerton has had either more or the same amount of corner kicks as the opposition in five of seven matches this season...Titans have scored first in four straight matches and five of their last six.
A Dynamic Duo
Amara Soumah and Ian Ramos have combined to score four of Fullerton's nine goals (44%) this season.
Mr. Efficient
Senior midfelder Ritchie Gonzalez has taken a total of just four shots so far this season, but all four have been shots on goal with one finding the back of the net...he is second on the team in total points (3).
Hannon Definitely Can
Senior goalkeeper Robbie Hannon was impressive in his first start of the season last Saturday, as he collected three saves and led Fullerton to its first clean sheet since Oct. 27, 2012 in a 1-0 win vs. UC Irvine.
More About Clean Sheets
Fullerton's 3-0 win was the Titans' first shutout of an opponent since Oct. 27, 2012 in a 1-0 win vs. UC Irvine...it was the first Titan road shutout since a 3-0 win Sept. 16, 2011 at American...it was also the largest margin of victory for the Titans since that American match.
Injury Report
Senior midfielder Ritchie Gonzalez is out this week due to a leg injury....freshman midfielder Dean Wright is out for the season with a leg injury.
Breaking Down the Nebraska-Omaha win
Fullerton's win over Nebraska-Omaha last Saturday snapped an overall four-game losing skid, which was the longest since the 2008 season...the win broke a five-game road losing streak going back to last season.
Dishing Em Out
Midfielder Spencer Johnson leads the Titans in assists with two.
Shots Fired
Ian Ramos leads the Titans in total shots with 14, while Marc Fenelus and Garrett Losee each rank second with 11.
Sharing is Caring
Cal State Fullerton has nine total goals on the year, scored by seven different players...Ian Ramos and Amara Soumah are the only Titans with more than one goal.
Home Sweet Home?
Cal State Fullerton is 0-1 at home thus far this season, but was 6-4-1 at home last season...The Titans return home after a season-long four-game road trip with matches at San Diego, at Cornell, at Colgate, and at Nebraska-Omaha. During the stretch the Titans traveled over 8,700 miles in 15 days in the program's longest road trip since the 2006 season (also a four-game road swing).
Save This Stat
Cal State Fullerton goalkeeper Bryan Escalante leads the Big West in saves this season with 30...his 30 saves also ranks 28th most nationally.
Recycled Notes
Milestone Moment
Cal State Fullerton's 2-1 win over Albany on Sept. 1 marked head coach Bob Ammann's 50th career win as a Titan head coach...Al Mistri is the only other Titan head coach that has more wins with 264.
Men's Soccer Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for regular season matches are priced $5-$8. Tickets for future games can be purchased at FullertonTitans.com, in-person at Cal State Fullerton's Athletic Ticket Office (M-F 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.) or over the phone at 657-278-7547. Game day ticket sales will also be available starting one hour before kickoff at the ticket windows outside Titan Stadium.
All Cal State Fullerton students are admitted FREE to regular season men's soccer home games. Each student must present a valid Titan Card at the main entrance to Titan Stadium for admission. All student sections are general admission. Admission is first-come, first-served and based on availability. Just show your Titan Card for admittance.
Titans Tabbed Third in Big West Media Poll
Cal State Fullerton was selected to finished third in the Big West South Division according to the Big West preseason coaches' poll, which was released on Aug. 22nd by the league office, making the Titans favorites to earn a trip to the Big West Conference Tournament for a third time in four seasons.
Defending South Division champion Cal State Northridge garnered the respect of the league once again this year, as it was picked as the preseason favorite to win the South for a second straight year, collecting six first place votes and 30 points overall.
Orange County rival UC Irvine finished second in the South voting, earning 21 points overall (one first place vote), followed by the Titans (one first place vote) and UC Riverside, each accumulating 16 and 13 points respectively.
There was less of a clear favorite in the North Division with three teams being separated by four points or less in the polls.
UC Santa Barbara got the nod as the slight favorite to come out of the North Division, collecting five first place votes to go along with 25 points overall. 2012 North Division Champions UC Davis finished just behind the Gauchos with 23 points and three first place votes.
Traditional powerhouse Cal Poly also looks to contend this season, as it garnered 21 points to claim a third place spot in the poll, while Sacramento State was picked fourth with 11 points.
Straight From the Coach's Mouth
Be sure to visit www.fullertontitans.com and click on the men's soccer page to watch the 2013 men's soccer season preview video featuring head coach Bob Ammann.
Eyeing Ian (Ramos)
Junior Titan midfielder Ian Ramos was selected to the Big West's 11-man preseason all-conference squad. Ramos enters the season as one the most dynamic players in the league, as he led the Titans in points, goals, shots, and shots on goal during conference play a season ago.
A Brand New Look
A new team, a new year, and yes new jerseys. After being outfitted by adidas for numerous years, both the men and women's soccer programs have switched to new Nike kits for the 2013 season.
The home jerseys sport blue and orange horizontal stripes across the top with blue "Fullerton" lettering across the chest, complete with blue shorts and blue socks on the bottom.
The away jerseys for the men feature a white top with an orange sash with navy blue trim extending from the left shoulder down to the right hip. Orange "Fullerton" lettering is printed across the chest, along with shorts and matching white socks.
(A Lot of) New Kids on the Block
2013 truly represents a new era of Titan soccer, as the program welcomes in the largest class of new players in the Bob Ammann era, with 16 newcomers (11 freshman and five transfers).
New Experience?
While Fullerton holds one of the younger squads in the nation, that doesn't mean the Titans don't hold plenty of experience. Out of Fullerton's 11 newcomers, five of them are transfers in forward Marc Fenelus, midfielder Garrett Losee, midfielder Alex Cannas, forward Amara Soumah, and midfielder Erik Stephenson. Forwards Fenelus and Soumah were both named as NJCAA First Team All-Americans in 2012, while Fenelus also led Western Texas College to its first ever National Junior College National Championship appearance.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Cal State Fullerton boasts a rigorous eight-game non-conference schedule, which includes six games away from Titan Stadium. For the season the Titans will play four teams that are either ranked or received votes in the NSCAA's preseason top 25 poll. Fullerton will take on ranked opponents in back-to-back games on the road on Sept. 8 at No. 16 San Diego and Sept. 13 at No. 22 Cornell. Once the Titans enter Big West play, Fullerton will continue to take on top-tier competition, as it'll face Cal State Northridge twice and UC Santa Barbara once. Both schools received top 25 votes.
Road Trippin'
The Titans will play 11 of their 18 (61 percent) regular season games away from Titan Stadium this season, which is the most since Fullerton also spent 11 games away from home during the 2009 campaign. Six of Fullerton's eight non-conference games will be away from home, including six of the first seven contests to begin the year. The six non-conference games away from home are the most Fullerton has had since it played seven in 2008. The Aug. 30 regular season opener vs. Memphis will mark the first time the Titans have started a season on the road since 2010.
Roster Breakdown
The Titans currently have 29 players on the 2013 roster. 20 players are from the state of California, five are from outside of the United States, three are from Utah, and one is from Colorado.
Filling in the Holes
Cal State Fullerton returns just 26 percent (7) of the team's 27 goals scored last season, 55 percent (12/22) of all assists produced, and 46 percent of shots taken (139/299).
Better Chance to Dance
The Big West Tournament format has changed in 2013. Now instead of the top two teams from each division qualifying for the conference tournament, starting this year the top three teams from both the North and South divisions will advance to postseason play with each division's No. 1 seed receiving a first round bye, for a total of six teams in the field. The tournament schedule is as followed:
Tuesday, November 12 - First Round
Friday, November 15 - Semifinals
Sunday, November 17 - Championship