8/19/2008 9:19:04 PM
WALNUT CREEK — Sonoma State, which captured the 2007 Division II Men’s Soccer Far West Region title, has been tabbed to win the 2008 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship in a vote of conference head coaches.
Cal State Stanislaus was picked to finish sixth in the North Division under new head coach Ahmad Tousi. The Warriors, with five returning players, are coming off a 4-11-4 overall and 3-8-3 CCAA season in 2007 after reaching the CCAA tournament for the first time in 2006.
The Seawolves, who advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals last year and finished the season with a 19-3-3 overall record, received nine votes to win the CCAA Tournament. Sonoma State, which earned a No. 6 preseason national ranking in the NSCAA/adidas poll, totaled 60 points and 10 first-place votes to win the CCAA’s North Division.
Cal State Dominguez Hills, which topped Sonoma State in the 2007 CCAA Tournament title match, was picked to capture the conference’s South Division title and garnered two votes to claim the tournament championship for a third consecutive season. The Toros, who totaled 49 votes and concluded 2007 with an 18-3-2 overall record, are ranked No. 11 in the NSCAA/adidas preseason poll.
Expected to join Sonoma State and Cal State Dominguez Hills in the four-team CCAA Tournament are Cal State L.A. and UC San Diego and Chico State. The Golden Eagles were named on eight ballots to reach the postseason while the Tritons and Wildcats each received four votes.
Chico State is picked to finish second in the North Division, while Humboldt and Cal State Monterey Bay were each selected to place third. San Francisco State was fifth and Cal State Stanislaus was sixth.
Cal State L.A. was selected to place second in the South Division and was followed by UC San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino.
Sonoma State kicks off its 2008 season on August 28 when it travels to Hawaii to take on BYU-Hawaii. Cal State Dominguez Hills begins play the same day when it hosts Grand Canyon. CCAA play gets underway September 10 when Cal State San Bernardino hosts Cal Poly Pomona.
The four-team CCAA Tournament is slated for November 7-9 at a site to be determined.
California Collegiate Athletic Association
2008 Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
North
Rank Team (First place votes) Points
1. Sonoma State (10) - 60
2. Chico State (1) - 43
3. Humboldt State - 34
Cal State Monterey Bay - 34
5. San Francisco State - 32
6. Cal State Stanislaus - 22
South
Rank Team (First place votes) Points
1. Cal State Dominguez Hills (9) - 49
2. Cal State L.A. (2) - 38
3. UC San Diego - 28
4. Cal Poly Pomona - 27
5. Cal State San Bernardino - 14
Conference Tournament Participants
1. Sonoma State. 2. Cal State Dominguez Hills. 3. Cal State L.A. T4. Chico State, UC San Diego
CCAA Tournament Champion (Votes)
1. Sonoma State (9)
2. Cal State Dominguez Hills (2)