Bert & Iris Wolstein Classic hosted by Ohio State
Cal State Fullerton @ Ohio State
Friday, August 28, 2015 | 4:30 PM PST
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Ohio
Live Video: www.FullertonTitans.com
Live Stats: www.FullertonTitans.com
Audio: None
Cal State Fullerton vs. Wright State
Sunday, August 30, 2015 | 9:00 AM PST
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Ohio
Live Video: None
Live Stats: www.FullertonTitans.com
Audio: None
THIS WEEK
Cal State Fullerton's journey to defending their Big West Tournament Championship kicks off on the road this week as the Titans travel to the Bert & Iris Wolstein Classic, hosted by Ohio State, on Friday. The Titans will then take on Wright State on Sunday at Ohio State.
COME SEE THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton students receive free admission to Titan home games with their Titan I.D. card.
Ohio State | 4:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 28 | Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
The Buckeyes finished second in the Big 10 Conference last season with an overall record of 9-8-5 and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. After being selected last in the Big 10 preseason poll, the Buckeyes worked their way back to the top of the conference. Ohio State made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling short to Notre Dame with a 2-1 loss. Entering 2015, the Buckeyes graduated their goalkeeper (239 career saves), but are returning their leading scorer in junior forward Danny Jensen (6 goals).
Ohio State has won the Big 10 Tournament three times while making nine total appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Head-to-Head: Ohio State's Eric Shrigley scored with 18 seconds left in regulation to give the Buckeyes the 1-0 win over Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 6, 2009.
Wright State | 9:00 a.m. | Sunday, Aug. 30 | Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Wright State (12-7-2) closed out its 2014 season finishing second in the Horizon League Tournament to fall just short of making an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Raiders return their two leading scorers in junior forwards Eric Lynch and Peguy Ngatcha with seven goals a piece. The Raiders also return junior goalkeeper Tyler Blackmer who logged 76 saves in 2014.
BE A FOLLOWER
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (FullertonTitans) and Twitter (@FullertonTitans). In addition, the men's soccer team has established its own Facebook and Twitter presence. Search for "Cal State Fullerton Men's Soccer" on Facebook or follow them on Twitter at @CSUFMensSoccer.
PRESEASON MATCH UPS
Cal State Fullerton was put to the test this preseason with exhibition matches against No. 16 Cal and the U17 Mexican National Team. The Titans played a 1-1 draw against Cal with Diego Sanchez scoring the Titans lone goal of the match before netting another goal against Mexico in a 3-1 loss.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
The Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team, defending Big West Tournament Champions, were picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Poll.
To round out the South Division, Cal State Northridge received two first-place votes while Cal State Fullerton, the Big West Tournament Champion, collected 20 points and one first-place vote. In the North Division, UC Santa Barbara heads the list with 30 total points while receiving seven first-place votes.
FRESH FACES FOR 2015
The Titans added 17 new faces to the program for the 2015 season including 11 freshmen and six transfers to absorb the loss of the 12 seniors from the 2014 class. All 17 new faces will look to make an immediate impact on the pitch for Fullerton as the program looks to achieve back–to-back Big West Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history.
QUICK HITS
• The 2014 Titans posted a double-digit win season and had their first winning campaign for the first time since 2000.
• The Titans return 10 goals from last year with two apiece from Julian Okai, Robert Coronado, Diego Sanchez and Mitchell Bell while Dyllan Stevens and Nigel Patterson contributed one apiece.
• Jeff Salt finished the season with a goals against average of 0.90, good for second place in the Fullerton record book. Only Nart Arislanook posted a better mark in 1982 when he recorded a 0.82 goals against average.
• Salt also tied Arislanook for second place in season shutouts with seven, trailing only Bob Amman's nine in 1993.
• Fullerton finished the season 5-2-1 at Titan Stadium while averaging an attendance of 752 per game at home.
ABOUT THE 2014 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
Cal State Fullerton (10-8-6), led by first-year head coach George Kuntz won their first Big West Tournament Championship in school history. After finishing third in the Big West South Division regular season, the Titans beat UC Irvine in the championship game to give them the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Fullerton concluded its season with a heartbreaking loss in double overtime against the University of San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Marc Fenelus (2nd Team)
7 goals • 2 assists • 16 points
Ian Ramos (2nd Team)
5 goals • 4 assists • 14 points
Garrett Losee (Honorable Mention)
4 goals • 2 assists • 10 points
Colin Okirie (Honorable Mention)
20 games played • 2 assists • 2 points
Gabriel Quintero (Honorable Mention)
24 games played • 1 assist • 1 point
Jeff Salt (Honorable Mention)
Big West Tournament MVP • 0.90 goals-against-average • 7 shutouts
• First in the Big West Conference in shots with 361 and 15.04 shots per game
• Second in the Big West Conference in shutouts with nine. UC Irvine posted 10 shutouts in 2014.
• Second in the Big West Confrence in total points with 102 and a 4.25 average per game.
• Second in the Big West Conference in assists (34) and assists per game (1.42)
KUNTZ ERA BEGINS WITH HISTORICAL SEASON
With 10 wins in his inaugural season, Kuntz posted the most wins in his first season as head coach of the Titans since Al Mistri won 13 games in 1981. The 10 wins also led the Titans first winning season since 2001 and guided Fullerton to their first ever Big West Tournament Championship.
THE PRESSURE IS ON
In 2014, the Titans had 10 game-winning goals, returners Patterson, Stevens, Coronado and Bell eached pitched in one.
STANDOUT STATS
• The Titans were undefeated in 2014 when scoring more than three goals (4-0-0), and when allowing under five shots (3-0-0).
WELCOME TO THE PROS
Marc Fenelus of the Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team was drafted in the third round of the Major League Soccer 2015 Superdraft by the New England Revolution in January of 2015.
In his two-year career on the pitch as a Titan, Fenelus has accumulated nine goals, four assists, and 24 points.
Fenelus becomes the 31st Titan in the history of the program to play professional soccer, and the 19th to play in the MLS.