Angwin, CA - On a brisk Wednesday afternoon the Pioneers men’s soccer team was looking to carry their chances of winning a conference title to their next game, and remain three points behind the unbeaten Hawks of Holy Names University. The Pioneers played host to Menlo College, who they defeated a couple of weeks earlier in Atherton. The outcome remained the same on this day as the Pioneers defeated Menlo, 2-0.

With each team exchanging scoring chances, both defenses making plays, and both goalies keeping the ball out of the net, the teams went into the half in a scoreless tie. The Pioneers kept pressuring the Oaks, and it wasn’t until the 81^st minute when Jonathan Osorio, on a corner kick, scored a goal on a header off of a pass from Bucky Voigt. The Pioneers tacked on an insurance goal when Wagih Goda pushed the ball ahead to a charging Jonathan Groschel, who was able to squeeze the ball past goalie , that allowed Edrie Mauries to finish the job and secure the victory in the 85^th minute.

In an already record setting season for the Pioneers, the Pioneers will look to keep their hopes alive, of winning a conference championship. The Pioneers will play host to the first place Holy Names Hawks. The Pioneers currently trail Holy Names by three points in the conference standings. So the Pioneers don’t hold their entire fate in their own hands. They must find a way to defeat the unbeaten Hawks, then hope to get some help from William Jessup University who will host Holy Names next week, and finish their season with a win at CSU Maritime. The Pioneers will also recognize their seniors who will be playing in their final home game of their careers. The Pioneers and Hawks will kick things off at 2:30pm on Friday afternoon at PUC Field.

Scotts Valley, CA - The Pioneers men’s soccer team traveled to Scotts Valley, Friday afternoon, to take on the Bruins of Bethany University. The Pioneers were looking to take the season series from the Bruins, who they defeated in Angwin by a final of 3-1. And take the season series they did, defeating the Bruins 2-1.

We are still awaiting official stats from Bethany, but reports are that junior forward Bucky Voigt’s two goals were enough to secure the victory for the Pioneers. Once we receive official stats from Bethany University we will attempt to fill in the blanks.

The Pioneers return home for their final two home matches of the season this coming Wednesday and Friday. The Pioneers will host Menlo College and Holy Names University respectively.

Angwin, CA - On this beautiful sunny afternoon, the Pioneers men's soccer team was looking to finish off a 3-0 week. The Pioneers played host to William Jessup University. The match would help determine who would control the second position in the conference standings behind Holy Names University. This was also a re-match of an earlier meeting that saw both teams play to a tie, after the Pioneers scored a goal with 29 seconds to play to send the game into overtime. There was no overtime on this afternoon as the Pioneers held on to a 2-1 victory.

Junior forward Bucky Voigt got things started for the Pioneers with shot from the top of the goalie's box that glanced off of the hand of goalie Jeff Dunn and found the back of the net. Voigt, seeming somewhat surprised at the open space he was allowed, put the ball on goal and converted to give the Pioneers the lead in the 10^th minute. Sophomore forward Edrie Mauries put the Pioneers ahead by two when he scored off of a crossing pass by Jonathan Osorio. The Pioneers taking their 2-0 lead into the half.

The second half saw the Warriors of William Jessup look to increase their pressure in the offensive zone. This resulted in both teams having a handful of good scoring opportunities. The increased pressure paid off for the Warriors when they finally got on the scoreboard, when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 73^rd minute. Curtis Griffin took advantage of the kick to cut the lead in half. But the Pioneers shifted their focus to defense to finish off the match and held on for the victory.

Goalie Randy Castanza finished with 14 saves in the win, allowing only the goal off of a penalty kick. The Pioneers record now stands at 6-1-1, 6-2-1. The Warriors fall to 3-3-1, 4-7-1. The Pioneers will travel to Scotts Valley on Friday afternoon to take on Bethany University.

Angwin, CA - On a beautiful afternoon in Angwin, the Pioneers men's soccer team once again took their home field, playing host to Simpson University. The Pioneers opened the conference season with a 1-0 victory in the first meeting between the two teams, and claimed the season series with a 3-0 win on this afternoon.

The match started with the Pioneers looking to pressure the Red Hawks, controlling the offensive zone, and keeping the Red Hawks in a defensive mindset. The Pioneers could not capitalize on a handful of solid scoring chances. Simpson did the job keeping the Pioneers off of the scoreboard in the first half, with an assist from crossbar, on a Pioneers shot.

But the second half of the game proved to be a different story. After Edrie Mauries just missed shaping the ball into the upper region of the net, Mauries was able to capitalize off of a pass from forward Jonathan Groschel (in the 57^th minute), to put the Pioneers ahead 1-0. With the Red Hawks extending their defenders to try and score a goal of their own, opportunities opened up for the Pioneers and they took advantage. Isaac Anjejo (66th minute) and Bucky Voigt (69th minute) each scored unassisted goals for the Pioneers to secure the victory. This is the fifth win for freshmen goalie Randy Castanza, who finished the match with four saves. It is also the second shutout he has recorded against the Red Hawks this season. But much of the credit also goes to the Pioneers defense who limited the number of shots the Red Hawks had in the game. The Red Hawks finished with six shots on goal on only nine total shots, with only a couple of good scoring chances.

The Red Hawks fall to 2-4, 2-8 on the season. The Pioneers improve to 5-1-1, 5-2-1. On Friday, the Pioneers will host William Jessup University in a much anticipated re-match of two teams that played to a 2-2 tie in their first meeting. Friday's match is scheduled to start at 3:30pm.

Angwin, CA - After dropping their first conference match on the season the Pioneers looked to get back on track this afternoon, when they played host to CSU Maritime. The Pioneers fell to Holy Names University 5-3 last Tuesday in a wet and windy match, that left the Hawks as the only remaining unbeaten in the conference. So the Pioneers welcomed the Keelhaulers this afternoon, who were looking for their first win on the season.

The Pioneers clearly controlled the ball all match, playing majority of the match in the Keelhaulers defensive zone. In the first period, the Pioneers shots were off target and not finding the goal, until late in the first period, when Co-Conference Player of the Week, Edrie Mauries scored off of a centering pass from Jonathan Osorio in the 40^th minute, the Pioneers taking the 1-0 lead into the half.

The second period saw the Pioneers looking to continue their pressure and increase their lead. The Pioneers peppering shot after shot at the Keelhaulers goal. But it was Keelhauler goalie Will Akers who kept his team in the match, turning away shots with some incredible saves. Akers had 16 of his 19 saves in the second period. The Pioneers finally got another goal past Akers in the 70^th minute when Jonathan Groschel lofted a ball over the defenders that sophomore Danny Castanza headed in for a 2-0 lead. George Dick scored an unassisted goal four minutes later to cut the lead to 2-1. But the Pioneers held on for the victory.

The Pioneers outshot the Keelhaulers 64-10 in total shots and 22-2 in shots on goal. The Keelhaulers fall to 0-6 on the season, while the Pioneers improve to 4-1-1 in the Cal Pac, 4-2-1 overall. The Pioneers have a busy week ahead as they play host to Simpson University on Tuesday at 4pm, followed by another home match versus William Jessup University on Friday at 3:30pm.

Atherton, CA - The Pioneers men's soccer entered Friday's match at Menlo College looking to extend their Cal Pac Conference unbeaten streak, and extend it they did. The Menlo College Oaks were defeated by the Pioneers by a score of 4-1. This marked the third road match, in a stretch that has the Pioneers on the road in four of their first five conference matches.

The Oaks got the scoring started in the 5^th minute, when Said Karimzad headed a pass from Jaime Pagan on a corner kick. But after that, it was all Pioneers. Edrie Mauries tied the score with a goal in the 15^th minute, with an assist from Buck Voigt. Senior forward, Jonathan Groschel scored the eventual game winning goal in the 28^th minute, for a 2-1 lead. Early in the second half, Voigt score an unassisted goal of his own to score some an insurance goal for the Pioneers and push the lead to 3-1. But the Pioneers weren't done yet. Muaries, the sophomore forward, closed out the scoring with his second goal of the match, on a free kick into the upper right corner of the net.

Friday's four goals, were the most goals scored by the Pioneers this season. With the win, the Pioneers push their record to 3-0-1, 3-1-1, and pro-long their best start in school history for a men's soccer team. The Oaks fall to 2-2, 2-8 for the season. On Tuesday, the Pioneers will travel to Oakland to face Holy Names University, the other unbeaten in the conference. The Hawks sit one point ahead of the Pioneers in the conference standings, with a 4-0 record in conference play.

Angwin, CA - The Pioneers men's soccer team entered today's match with the Bethany Bruins, looking to extend undefeated streak to three matches. After beating Simpson in their conference opener and scoring a late goal to get a tie at William Jessup, the Pioneers hosted Bethany University in their Cal Pac Conference home opener this afternoon at PUC Field. This was the first home match for the Pioneers since classes began on September 21, and their fans were not disappointed. The Pioneers defeated the Bruins 3-1. It is the first time in Pioneers men's soccer history that they have started the conference season undefeated through their first three matches, and the longest undefeated streak ever for a Pioneers men's soccer team.

The scoring started in the 9^th minute, with forward "Nebs" Nenadic heading a ball into the net, after Isaac Anjejo found Mario Benitez on a corner kick, who crossed the ball into Nenadic for the header. Bethany didn't waste any time, scoring a goal in the 13^th minute to tie the score. Forward Gabriel Cassaro, who leads the Bruins, averaging one goal a match, scored an unassisted goal with a blast from the right wing to the far post. But it didn't take long for the Pioneers to recapture the lead. Forward Jonathan Groschel crossed a ball from the right wing to the front of the net, after forward Bucky Voigt pounded it off of the post, sophomore forward Edrie Mauries buried it into the back of the net in the 21^st minute, for a 2-1 lead. The Pioneers would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the match, putting the game away with a goal in the 76^th minute by freshmen John Mercado, off of a nifty assist from Mauries, pushing their lead to 3-1.

The Bruins fall to 1-3 in the Cal Pac (2-5 overall) with the loss. The Pioneers push their record to 2-0-1 in conference play, and 2-1-1 overall. The Pioneers will look to continue their streak when they travel to Menlo College on Friday for a Cal Pac match.

California Pacific Conference Sports Information

Pacific Union College goalie Randy Castanza was selected as the California Pacific Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the dates of September 28^th through October 5^th, 2009.

The Bellflower, California native had five saves in a 0-0-1 week for the Pioneers. The Pioneers tied William Jessup University 2-2 on Tuesday in Roseville. 

 Pacific Union College continues their 2009 California Pacific Conference schedule Wednesday as they take on Bethany University in Angwin.

(This is the second week in a row that Randy Castanza has been selected as the Cal Pac Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week)

The Pioneers men's soccer team will put their undefeated Cal Pac Conference record on the line this Wednesday afternoon when they play host to Bethany University, at 4pm. The Pioneers are coming off of a 2-2 tie at William Jessup in what was arguably one of the most exciting soccer matches in school history. With only 29 seconds to play, forward Jonathan Osorio scored the game tying goal to send the game into overtime. The Bruins took the season series over the Pioneers last season with one win (3-2) and a tie (1-1). Wednesday's match should prove to be an exciting conference home opener for the Pioneers. This will be the first home match for the Pioneers since classes started, and since their, 1-3, season opening loss to San Francisco Academy of Art (NCAA DII), in a non-conference match on September 1. 

Rocklin, CA - The men's soccer team travelled to Rocklin, CA, to face off against the Warriors of William Jessup University in a Cal Pac match. The Pioneers were looking to back up their conference opening win, by putting another match in the win column. But today's match was played to a 2-2 tie, with the Pioneers scoring a late goal, with only 29 seconds to play to send the match into overtime.

The scoring started with the Warriors taking a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 30^th minute by Curtis Griffin. The Warriors took the lead into the half; until early in the second half the Pioneers evened the score at 1-1 on a goal by sophomore forward Edrie Mauries, assisted by Bucky Voigt. William Jessup took back the lead, 2-1, with a goal by Alex Barclay in the 78^th minute. But the Pioneers would not be outdone. With only 29 seconds left on the clock Jonathan Osorio buried the ball into the back of the net, unassisted, to tie the score at 2-2 and send the match into overtime. Neither team was able to score in any of the two overtime periods, with each team garnering one point for the tie.

The Warriors outshot the Pioneers by a total of 19-6. Warriors goalie Jeff Dunn was credited with only one save for the match, while Pioneers goalie Randy Castanaza finished the match with five saves in the match. Castanaza was awarded the Cal Pac Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, for his five saves and victory over Simpson University.

The Warriors record now stands at 1-4-1 overall, 0-0-1 in the Cal Pac. The Pioneers overall record stands at 1-1-1, and 1-0-1 in Cal Pac play. The Pioneers jump back onto the field on Wednesday, October 7, when they play host to Bethany University in their conference home opener. It will be the first home match for the Pioneers since start of the academic year.

Redding, CA - The Pioneers men's soccer team opened their 2009 Cal Pac Conference season Friday afternoon, with a 1-0 win over the Red Hawks of Simpson University. Both teams entered the match looking for their first victory on the young season. The Red Hawks entered the match 0-4, while the Pioneers came in with just one match under their belt, a loss to NCAA DII, San Francisco Academy of Art.

The match looked to have a defensive tone to it, with both teams having only combined for seven shots on goal, (Simpson-5, PUC-2). The teams played to a scoreless first half. But the Pioneers' Bucky Voigt finally capitalized on one of their two credited shots on goal, with an unassisted goal in the 58^th minute. It is the second goal of the season for the junior forward. The Red Hawks outshot the Pioneers, 19-16.

The Pioneers win comes after a busy week, with classes beginning on Monday, and an open tryout to finalize their 2009 roster. The Pioneers added eleven players to round out their roster of 22 in addition to three red-shirts. With a long break between matches the Pioneers were able to focus on conditioning, the focus will now turn to becoming a unit and polishing their game as they enter conference play.

The Pioneers record now stands at 1-1 overall, 1-0 in Cal Pac Play. The Red Hawks fall to 0-5, 0-1. Pacific Union will travel to Rocklin, CA, to face William Jessup in a Cal Pac match on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers play host to Bethany University, on Wednesday, October 7 in their Cal Pac home opener.

The Pioneers men's soccer team fell to San Francisco Academy of Art (NCAA DII) 1-3, in their season and home opener.  School does not start for another three weeks, but the majority of the team reported back a few weeks ago to prepare for their upcoming season. 

 Pacific Union College played host to the Knights of the Academy of Art in San Francisco this afternoon in a non-conference match.  The match started out with both teams getting a feel for each other, before the Knights struck first with a goal late in the first half.  Foward Mario Pineda snuck a ball underneath PUC goalkeeper Joshua Koot in the 32nd minute to put the Knights on the board, taking a 1-0 lead into the half.  In the 54th minute Pineda followed up with an assisted goal, after dribbling past a couple of PUC defenders on the left wing and beat the goalkeeper with low shot to the far post.  A minute later, Pineda struck again, to complete the hat trick with a goal to push the lead to 3-0.  The Knights second half goalkeeper, cleared the ball on a free kick.  The ball was controlled and found the head of forward Daniel Higa, who directed it toward the PUC goal.  Pineda outran two PUC defenders and buried the ball in the back of the net, after Koot was left with a one on one situation.  The Pioneers avoided the shutout when Bucky Voigt capitalized on a penalty kick with 35 seconds left to play in the match.  The penalty kick was awarded after a Knights defender was called for a holding foul in the penalty box  

The Knights outshot the Pioneers 20-10, leading the game with 13 shots on goal to five for the Pioneers.  Both teams failed to capitalize on scoring chances throughout the game.  The Knights had two balls hit the goal post while PUC forward Jonathan Groschel was robbed by goalkeeper Sutherland on a great save off a fantastic header by Groschel on a crossing pass from midfielder Isaac Anjejo.

Today's match was the only non-conference match for the Pioneers before opening Cal Pac Conference play at Simpson University on September 25.  The Pioneers will use the next few weeks to polish up their game and finalize their roster before opening the conference season.  The next home game for the Pioneers will be October 7, when the Pioneers play host to Bethany University in a Cal Pac match.