Sept. 4, 2008

Fullerton, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton plays the only two home games of the first half of the 20-game schedule this weekend when the Titans host a tournament featuring UNLV, Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Northridge.

The Matadors and Roadrunners open the tourney with a 2 p.m. match on Friday to be followed by UNLV vs. Fullerton at approximately 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, it's CSUN vs. UNLV at 4:30 followed by Fullerton vs. Bakersfield.

The all-day ticket also includes the 7:30 p.m. women's match on Friday between Fullerton and Alabama and the 1 p.m. women's match on Sunday vs. Santa Clara.

Fullerton's men are 1-1 on the young season, splitting a pair of 2-0 decisions, over Alabama A&M and below Georgetown. UNLV is 2-0 after home wins over Jacksonville (2-0) and Radford (2-1). Daniel Cruz scored 3 of he 4 goals for 6 points and Hawk Mummey posted 9 saves in net. Bakersfield is 0-2 after losing a pair of 1-0 decisions on the road at Sacramento State and UC Davis.

The Titans will gain the services of Rio Hondo College transfer Celso Alvarez, who was held out at Cal State Northridge last week on what turned out to be an improper NCAA rule interpretation.

Coach Bob Ammann's comments for From the Bench:

Alabama A&M
"We were excited to finally get the season underway. Although it was only two weeks, the preparation started when we were recruiting a number of these players. As we were boarding the bus we were informed that one of the players who was to start was not eligible to compete. The team and player were disappointed, but we were confident that someone else would step up and make the most of the opportunity. "It was our first experience ever playing or seeing Alabama A&M, so we didn't know what to expect. The players were obviously nervous, anxious, excited and I am sure even somewhat scared, but after we got the game started we began to feel more at ease.

"We had a total of 8 D-1 years of experience in the starting squad and half of the starters had no experience. Our emphasis throughout the preseason had been on our defensive shape and I was pleased with that at the half. I could tell that the confidence within the group had risen. The difference between a good team and average teams is what comes off the bench and I thought that two of the players who came off the bench for us did excellent jobs and put their marks on the game. The first was Nick Posthuma, who came on up front and forced the defender to take him down for the penalty, and the second was Mario Alvarez, who we inserted in midfield and was a spark with his activity.

"Both of our goals came off set pieces, which is crucial if you are to be successful. I thought we did a good job stifling A&M's attack and apart from one chance they really didn't pose us any problems. The most exciting thing that we took from the game was the fact that we realize that we can still play a lot better."

Georgetown
"We felt pretty confident coming into the game after our play on Friday. The game was much more physical and posed different problems that we needed to solve. Georgetown is a good team. They return a group of players that gained a lot of experience and had a pretty good year playing in the Big East. They were extremely motivated and committed.

"I felt we started the game very well and created some quality opportunities. We created a number of good opportunities and did a lot of good things, but just lacked a bit of quality on the last ball.

"As the game went on I felt that the team that scored first would have a distinct advantage because of the conditions and how both teams' defenses were playing. The second half started similarly to the start of the game, however, seven minutes in we gave up a goal that ultimately cost us the result.

"I was very pleased with our response to going a goal down. I thought that we pressed the game and really dominated the second half. We owned all the statistical categories except the one that really counts. The final goal was a result of us throwing everything forward to equalize and getting caught on a counter in the last minutes. It was a 1-0 game that unfortunately we were on the wrong end of and had to take chances.

"Although disappointed with the result, I was pleased with our effort and the number of the new players who got their first taste of D-1 soccer. We gained valuable experience this weekend that will help us as we continue to move forward."