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Men's Soccer to Play Five Spring Games

Men's Soccer CSU Bakersfield Athletic Communications

New Faces, New Division, Same Goal for Roadrunners in 2010


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -  From the start of CSUB's transition to NCAA Division I, Head Coach Simon Tobin has never wavered from his statement that men's soccer will become the school's first team sport to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. In anticipation of the announcement that CSUB had reached Division I classification in July, Tobin has worked hard to assemble the 2010 squad that will have the greatest chance to achieve his goal.

Six seniors will lead a talent–filled roster against arguably the most competitive schedule in program history. With the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's (MPSF) automatic bid hanging in the balance, the 'Runners are ready to prove that one of history's most successful Division II teams is primed for a shot at Division I glory.

The Schedule
The Roadrunners will be tested early and often prior to the start of the MPSF season. Some of the nation's elite teams appear on a Roadrunner 2010 schedule which will help prepare the team for a run in the MPSF Tournament in November.

Here are a few of the season's biggest contests:

Aug. 24   
Mexico U–20 – Exhibition match against Mexico's U–20 National Team.
Sept. 1
UC Santa Barbara – The Gauchos advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2009 NCAA Tournament and were NCAA Champions in 2006.
Sept. 24
vs. UC Irvine – 2009 Big West Conference Champions. No. 16 seed in 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Oct. 17
Sacramento State – 2009 MPSF Champions and NCAA Tournament participant.
Oct. 24
at New Mexico – MPSF runner–up. Earned a 2009 NCAAA Tournament at–large bid.
Nov. 7
Seattle    Senior Day. CSUB says goodbye to its six–member senior class.
Nov. 11–14
MPSF Tournament – CSUB would have qualified last year if it had been eligible. Automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament on the line.

The Roadrunners
Forwards: Senior Robbie Gouk and sophomore Evan Fassler tied for the 2009 team lead in goals scored with six apiece. Gouk added one assist to finish atop the team's point scoring lists but both possess ample speed to make any defensive line restless. Sophomore Ernesto Hinojosa made 12 appearances in 2009 with eight starts.

Gyasi Zardes (Hawthorne, Calif./Leuzinger HS) redshirted last season and will be competing for time up top as well. Zardes has been a part of the LA Galazy organization for the past four seasons and during the summer, he captained the U–20 club team to an appearance in the finals of the National U–20 Championship in Chicago.

“I expect Zardes to be one of the top forwards to ever play at CSUB,” adds Tobin.

Midfielders: Jesus Sanchez returns for his sophomore season after leading the team with seven assists in 2009. Junior Ken Taylor had three assists in 11 contests for the Roadrunners as a sophomore.

University of Evansville transfer Richard Menjivar (North Hills, Calif.) could also figure into major minutes for the Roadrunners. Menjivar becomes the first US National Team player to attend CSUB, having previous experience with the U–18s. Sophomore Keeyan Ghazanfarpour (Duvall, Wash./CSU Stanislaus) and redshirt freshman Scott Luedtke (Dallas, Texas/Pearce HS) will also be in the mix for playing time.

“Menjivar and Sanchez will set the tempo,” says Tobin. “The two of them are very creative ball–handlers.”

Defenders: Seniors Alberto Navarro, Anthon Snygg, Uddie Garcia, Wayne Lampart and Peter Carlson will give CSUB one of the most experienced defensive corps in the nation. MPSF second–team performer Navarro showed his offensive flair as the converted midfielder notched four goals on the year. Snygg started 15 of the 16 matches and was one of just seven players to log over 1,000 field minutes (1,201). Carlson had his junior campagin cut short due to injury after earning the starting nod in the team's first 12 games of the season. Lampart was one of the team's most consistent performers, starting all 16 contests he appeared in. He also added a goal and an assist while finishing third on the team with 1,477 minutes played.

Junior Chris Widdy made eight appearances with two starts on the defensive line in 2009. Classmate Chico Ruesga made four starts in his seven total appearances.

“A backline of Kindle, Widdy, Navarro and Lampart offers pace and great ball playing ability at defense,” comments Tobin.

Sophomore Justin Finch became a valuable sub during the year, appearing in 16 contests with two starts and one goal. Fellow second–year player Kory Kindle, who could also see time in the midfield, made 16 appearances as a freshman. He started half of those contests and contributed a goal and a pair of assists.

Goalkeepers: The Roadrunners return a pair of goalkeepers for the 2010 campaign. Sophomores Eric Shannon and Shane Ascheri each benefited from solid freshmen campaigns in 2009. Shannon, the team's Freshman of the Year, appeared in all 17 matches for the 'Runners, making 16 starts between the pipes. Shannon earned MPSF honorable mention accolades as he finished second in saves (62) and shutouts (5) and third in shutouts per game (0.29). Ascheri made three appearances for CSUB, compiling six saves.
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Players Mentioned

Peter Carlson

#4 Peter Carlson

D
6' 1"
Junior
Evan Fassler

#21 Evan Fassler

F
5' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
Justin Finch

#22 Justin Finch

D
6' 1"
Freshman
Uddie Garcia

#14 Uddie Garcia

D
5' 8"
Junior
Robbie Gouk

#19 Robbie Gouk

F
5' 10"
Junior
Ernesto Hinojosa

#23 Ernesto Hinojosa

F/MF
5' 8"
Freshman
Kory Kindle

#11 Kory Kindle

F
5' 11"
Freshman
Scott Luedtke

#5 Scott Luedtke

D
5' 10"
Freshman
Alberto Navarro

#15 Alberto Navarro

MF
6' 1"
Junior
Chico Ruesga

#13 Chico Ruesga

D
5' 5"
Sophomore
Jesus Sanchez

#10 Jesus Sanchez

MF
5' 6"
Freshman
Eric Shannon

#1 Eric Shannon

GK
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Peter Carlson

#4 Peter Carlson

6' 1"
Junior
D
Evan Fassler

#21 Evan Fassler

5' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
F
Justin Finch

#22 Justin Finch

6' 1"
Freshman
D
Uddie Garcia

#14 Uddie Garcia

5' 8"
Junior
D
Robbie Gouk

#19 Robbie Gouk

5' 10"
Junior
F
Ernesto Hinojosa

#23 Ernesto Hinojosa

5' 8"
Freshman
F/MF
Kory Kindle

#11 Kory Kindle

5' 11"
Freshman
F
Scott Luedtke

#5 Scott Luedtke

5' 10"
Freshman
D
Alberto Navarro

#15 Alberto Navarro

6' 1"
Junior
MF
Chico Ruesga

#13 Chico Ruesga

5' 5"
Sophomore
D
Jesus Sanchez

#10 Jesus Sanchez

5' 6"
Freshman
MF
Eric Shannon

#1 Eric Shannon

6' 0"
Freshman
GK
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