Cal Poly men’s soccer riding tide of signature win over UCLA into Big West Conference play

Having navigated one of the most difficult nonconference schedules in the country this fall, the Cal Poly men’s soccer team doesn’t expect to see many surprises over the next month.

The Mustangs kick off their 10-game Big West Conference slate at 7 p.m. Thursday against Cal State Fullerton inside Titan Stadium, hoping to build off a season-defining victory over then-No. 6 UCLA Friday night.

Defeating the four-time NCAA champion Bruins in front of more than 7,000 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium provided Cal Poly an extra shot of confidence and a boost in the all-important national RPI rankings.

Through the first six weeks of the season, the Mustangs (2-4-1) have matched up with No. 1 Stanford (exhibition), No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 6 UCLA, No. 8 North Carolina and No. 11 San Diego State.

“They will not see a team in conference that is better than what they’ve already played against,” second-year head coach Steve Sampson said. “Are we capable, now that school has started, of preparing emotionally, physiologically, for those opponents?

“It’s literally in our hands right now.”

Cal Poly’s No. 48 RPI ranking is the best among the eight Big West teams, followed by Sacramento State (No. 62), UC Davis (No. 66) and Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara (No. 69) in the top 70. Only the Hornets (4-3-1) and Aggies (4-3-2) enter conference play with winning records, making it difficult to predict which teams could be considered the favorites.

The Mustangs certainly feel like they’re trending in that direction.

Senior forward Justin Dhillon recorded the ninth hat trick in program history during a 4-1 rout of Fresno Pacific earlier this month. The first victory of the season seemed to mark a turning point for the Mustangs, who then shut out No. 11 San Diego State at home and defeated the same UCLA team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament last November.

“It started off, I don’t think we were really at the level that we needed to be, but it gave us something to look at,” junior goalkeeper Eric Kam said of the early hardships. “You know, these are the best teams in the country, and it gave us something to shoot for. I think we’re finally starting to get there.”

For Kam, who was selected as the Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the opportunity to be a significant contributor has been three long years in the making. After redshirting in 2013, Kam patiently waited for playing time behind two-time Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Wade Hamilton, who did not miss a minute the final three years of his career.

Kam has made 16 saves in five matches with two shutouts to his credit. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior hasn’t allowed a goal in 237 consecutive minutes.

Sampson praised Kam for maintaining a positive attitude despite not playing for three straight years, saying he’s “been incredibly patient, he’s worked his tail off, and I think he is turning into being a really outstanding goalkeeper.”

While Cal Poly seems to have found its footing defensively, Sampson wants to see the Mustangs be “more precise” in front of the goal. Dhillon has provided nearly all of the offense statistically, having scored five of the teams six goals and assisted on the other.

To create more balance, Sampson hopes defenders Sean Dhillon and Nick Carroll will grow more comfortable playing higher up the field and become more involved in the attack, a role Kip Colvey thrived in last season.

He also wants to see more from veterans Jack O’Connor, Brett Foreman and Kaba Alkebulan to help take some of the pressure off Dhillon.

“He’s a leader for us up top,” speedy freshman Kenneth Higgins, who ranks second on the team with 13 shots, including five on goal, said of Dhillon. “He’s one of those guys that, because he’s usually consistently playing well, it makes us want to step up our game to play to his level.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Cal Poly men’s soccer riding tide of signature win over UCLA into Big West Conference play."