ARCATA –This week the Humboldt State men's soccer team (1-7-2, 0-5-1) travels  south for a pair of California Collegiate Athletic Association matches.  Friday the team is in Hayward for a 3 p.m. kickoff against the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay.  Then on Sunday, the Jacks will be in Southern California for a matchup with the UC San Diego Tritons.  Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

The Jacks earned their first conference point on Friday, a 1-1 result against Cal State Monterey Bay in Redwood Bowl.  Sunday saw San Francisco State in Arcata, but HSU couldn't maintain the momentum and fell to the Gators, 3-0.

Head-to-Head
Humboldt State's record against Cal State East Bay is 15-22-6.   This meeting will be the first since 1997, a game the Jacks won 3-1 in Arcata. The rivalry dates back to the start of the Lumberjack soccer program in 1971 when the two sides first met as members of the Far West Conference.  The match ended in a 0-0 tie. With CSUEB joining the CCAA this year, the two schools will have met as conference opponents in three leagues, FWC, Northern California Athletic Conference and the CCAA.  …Sunday will mark the fifth meeting between HSU and UC San Diego.  The Lumberjacks have never beaten the Tritons, who hold 3-0-1 record against Humboldt State.  The two sides played to a 0-0 tie last year in La Jolla.  It was the third consecutive tie after UCSD won the first meeting in 2005.

Johnson's Comments
“Friday at East Bay, I'm not sure what to expect as far as field conditions.  I have never been there.  If it is a bigger pitch it might help us to play better.  For that game, I would anticipate our guys getting pretty fired up about playing their former coach.  We certainly don't want to be the bottom of the barrel so it is an important game as far as getting a win.  Hopefully that would turn into something bigger, as far as a confidence boost.” … “I feel like we are doing a lot of good things in practice and our training sessions, but it's hit and miss as far as how we execute what we have worked when we get to the matches.  The biggest hurdle for us is getting mentally prepared to play and mentally prepared to keep fighting if we get scored upon.” …“Regardless of record, UCSD is a tough place to play.  It is a great pitch and Joe is in his second season.  They always have good players there.  Southern California is a hot bed of soccer and there are always quality players that want to stay home and they get those kids.  So forget the record - it will be a difficult game.”

Lumberjack Notes
The Jacks are in sixth place in the CCAA North, and on Friday night HSU snapped a six-game losing-streak with a 1-1 tie against Cal State Monterey Bay. …Junior Josh Suggs leads the Jacks' attack with four goals and one assist for nine total points.  Senior Ben Vasser and Junior Scott Mariani have each found the back of the net twice this season with Mariani adding one assist.  Keeper Kyle Verle is 1-7-2 while playing 909:05 between the pipes.  His save percentage is .703.

Opponents Notes
The Cal State East Bay Pioneers (1-9-0, 0-6-0) are in sixth place in the CCAA South.  After winning their season opener, the Pioneers have dropped their last nine matches. In their current winless streak, CSUEB has been outscored 27-5 and last week dropped a 7-0 result at Cal State San Bernardino and fell 2-0 at Cal Poly Pomona. …Cal State East Bay's offense is led by Michael Rossi, who has four points on two goals and Arnoldo Mendoza, with a goal and two assists. Billy Morales has seen the majority of the minutes in goal (755:25).  His record is 1-8-0 with a save percentage of .672. …The Pioneers are led by first-year head coach Andy Cumbo, who spent the last five seasons as the head coach of the men's and women's teams at Humboldt State.  As the men's coach he compiled a 42-48-9 record. …The Tritons of UC San Diego (4-2-4, 1-2-3) are tied for fourth place in the CCAA South with Cal Poly Pomona.  With two goals, one assist and five points, Shane Micheil leads the Tritons' offense in 2009.  Evan Walker has tallied two goals for four points.  Keeper Peter Akman has a 4-2-3 record with five shutouts and a .865 save percentage.  …The Tritons opened conference play with three ties in their first four matches.  Last weekend they picked up their first win, 1-0 at Cal Poly Pomona ahead of a 1-0 loss at Cal State San Bernardino. … Jon Pascale's record last season, his first in La Jolla, was 10-6-1.