Cal Poly roundup: Justin Dhillon records hat trick in men’s soccer win over Fresno Pacific

Senior forward Justin Dhillon recorded the ninth hat trick in the Cal Poly men’s soccer program’s 23-year Division I era Sunday afternoon, and freshman midfielder Kenneth Higgins chipped in his first collegiate goal as the Mustangs eased past Fresno Pacific in their 2016 home opener at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, 4-1.

Junior goalkeeper Eric Kam chalked up a career-high five saves for Cal Poly (1-4-0), which picked up its first win of 2016 by outshooting Fresno Pacific (1-1-1) 14-11.

Dhillon, who notched career goals 10, 11 and 12 to become just the 14th player in program history with a double-digit career goal total, scored just 83 seconds after kickoff and then twice in 42 seconds early in the second half. The hat trick was the first by a Mustang since forward Mackenzie Pridham (2009-13) placed three goals past Air Force in a 5-1 win (Sept. 27, 2013) and the first at Spanos Stadium since forward David Zamora (2007-10) scored all three goals in a 3-1 victory against CSUN (Oct. 24, 2009).

Dhillon now ranks 10th in Cal Poly program history with 12 career goals and 34 points.

Dhillon nearly became the first player in Cal Poly’s Division I era to record a four-goal match, but saw a header corralled by Fresno Pacific reserve goalkeeper Brandon Gettman in the 76th minute.

Fresno Pacific, ranked 14th in the Sept. 6 edition of the NSCAA Division II poll, pulled its lone goal back in the 53rd minute with Sergio Segura scoring his first of 2016.

Cal Poly’s three-match home stand continues on Saturday against No. 13 San Diego State at 7 p.m.

Magellan lifts women’s soccer to win over CSU Bakersfield

Stephanie Magellan scored in the 87th minute at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Sunday afternoon, lifting the Cal Poly women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over CSU Bakersfield.

Magellan started the game-winning sequence with a corner kick, leading to Chelsea Barry angling a pass into the middle of the box for a third sophomore, Caitlyn Kreutz. Then after a clearance attempt by a Roadrunner defender, Magellan settled the bounce 10 yards out and shot into the top-left corner.

The tally with two minutes and eight seconds remaining until overtime, it ranks as the ninth-latest (regulation) go-ahead goal in school history.

Freshman goalkeeper Sophia Brown was in goal for the Mustangs’ (4-2-1) the third shutout of the season.

Cal Poly faced nine shots in the win.

The Mustangs, now 3-0-0 at home, will next head to the Marquette Invitational and face host Golden Eagles in Milwaukee at 5:30 p.m. Friday and then Loyola Chicago at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Volleyball drops two at Stanford Invitational

The Cal Poly volleyball team lost its final two matches of the Stanford Invitational over the weekend, falling in five sets to No. 9 Stanford on Sunday and in four sets Saturday against No. 20 Purdue.

Against Stanford, Cal Poly lost their first set 25-14 but came back to win the next two 25-23 and 27-25 before falling 25-13 and 15-10 in the final two..

Sophomore Alexis Clewis tied her season high for kills with 17.

Junior Raeann Greisen and sophomore Adlee Van Winden both had 12 kills, all contributing to the team's 57 total.

Van Winden also led the team in digs with 14, while Junior Taylor Nelson had 12 and sophomore Katherine Brouker each had 10.

Junior Taylor Nelson had 49 assists throughout the five sets.

Against Purdue, the Mustangs lost their first two sets, 27-25, 25-21, but made a comeback in the third, winning 25-14 before falling in their fourth set 25-21.

Van Winden led the team with 19 kills.

Greisen and Clewis added 12 and 11 kills, respectively.

Nelson recorded 43 of the team's 50 assists while also contributing four digs and one kill.

Sophomore Katherine Brouker led the team in digs with 18.

The Mustangs (4-4) will be back on the road for the fourth straight week to participate in the Sacramento Invitational starting on Friday against Grand Canyon.

Men’s tennis wins College Tennis Invitational

The Cal Poly men's tennis team started their fall season on the right foot with a team title at the College Tennis Invitational at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa.

"Great way to start the fall," head coach Nick Carless said in a news release. "I thought we got better as the tournament progressed and it was nice to finish the day winning all singles and doubles matchups."

The Mustangs started doubles play Friday morning against Tulsa. Senior Corey Pang and senior Ben Donovan were defeated by Daniel Santos and Okkie Kellerman 8-5, while senior Garrett Auproux and sophomore Josh Ortlip defeated Chase Gordon and Mitchell Pritchard 8-6.

With a 1-1 start in doubles play, the Mustangs took on Oklahoma State University in singles play.

Pang beat Tristan Meraut in a three-set match 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3. Donovan pushed Jurence Mendoza to three sets but lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Auproux was defeated by Mathieu Scaglia 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 and Ortlip easily defeated Nathan Roper 6-1, 6-0.

The Mustangs dominated day two of the invitational, as both doubles teams defeated UNLV. Pang and Donovan defeated Evaldo Neto and Adam Gage-Brown 8-6 while Auproux and Ortlip defeated Richard Solberg and Charlie Croxford 8-4.

The squad went 3-1 in singles play against Tulsa. Donovan was defeated by Santos 6-3, 6-4. Pang defeated Kellerman 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 while Ortlip defeated Gordon 6-2, 6-0 and Auproux beat Pritchard 7-6, 7-6.

Cal Poly swept Tulsa in doubles play and UNLV in singles play on the last day of the invitational.

Pang and Donovan beat Gordon and Pritchard 8-2 while Auproux and Ortlip beat Santos and Kellerman 8-6.

With a 2-0 lead on the day, Auproux beat Neto in singles play 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) while Pang beat Solberg 6-3, 6-0 and Donovan beat Croxford 6-3, 6-3.

Ortlip defeated Gage-Brown 6-0, 6-2, winning his flight in singles play.

"Josh played great all weekend, going undefeated in singles and doubles to win his flight," said Carless.

"Even though it's an individual event, the tournament directors did a great job organizing into a team event by awarding the championship to the team that won the most sets," said Carless. "It makes it fun to bring home a team title during an individual event."

The Mustangs will be back in action Sept. 22 to compete at the Battle in the Bay Classic in San Francisco.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Cal Poly roundup: Justin Dhillon records hat trick in men’s soccer win over Fresno Pacific."