Pioneer Points
Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis.
- October 1, 2012
Although school has just started, the Pioneer fall sports teams are already nearly halfway through with their regular seasons, and we’re already preparing for our winter sports to get underway. We’ve found success early in the fall campaign, and we look forward to an exciting run towards the postseason as we progress through October, a month that also will see plenty of great events for us to connect with and reward our fans.
Last weekend, fans got their first glimpse at home CCAA volleyball action and got a chance to see the Pioneers claim their first conference victory in dominating fashion over Humboldt State. Not only did East Bay sweep the Jacks, the team also allowed just two points in the final set, claiming a 25-2 win to take the match. Despite several key injuries, the Pioneers will look to get back to .500 this weekend when they play host to Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State at Pioneer Gym at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
The Pioneer soccer teams have been on the road for three weeks now but return home this weekend following some quality performances away from Pioneer Stadium over the last six games. First, the women’s team has lost just one game in the last four and counts Shianna Falk and Kara Yamamoto among the offensive leaders in the conference. Meanwhile, keepers Jamie Botteon and Nina Cefalo have combined to post a 1.17 goals against average so far this season.
On the men’s side, the Pioneers have posted a pair of shutouts and picked up their first CCAA win of the season last weekend in a 3-1 victory over San Francisco State. Keeper Rene Martinez ranks third in the conference in both saves and save percentage, while both Florian Reppin and Chris Lara rank among the top 20 in the CCAA in points. This weekend both teams will play host to Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State. The Wildcats lead the North Division on the men’s side, while the Warriors are in second in the division on the women’s side and boast the conference’s leading scorer.
Out on the trails, the Pioneer cross country teams have been growing stronger as the season progresses, with the women capturing their second straight Mills College Invitational team title and the men finishing fourth at the event. Last weekend, both teams got a taste of some tough competition at the Stanford Invitational, taking on top runners from Division I, II and III. Both teams have just one race remaining before traveling to San Diego for the CCAA Championships on Oct. 20.
In addition to the fall sports heading toward the home stretch, both swimming and golf will get underway this month. Come out to Pioneer Pool on Oct. 12 to support the Pioneer swimmers against Mills in their season-opening meet. Meanwhile, the men and women’s golf teams will open their fall campaigns next week, heading to Chico State and Western Washington, respectively.
Though the fall sports are still in action, we’re are also looking ahead to the start of basketball season and are just two weeks away from our second annual Basketball Madness event! Kick off the 2012-13 campaign with live music, dance performances, games, prizes and a chance to meet the Pioneer men and women’s basketball teams at Pioneer Gym on Oct. 18. The entire university community is invited to the free event which will include a pre-Basketball Madness tailgate for CSUEB students and prizes like gas cards, gift cards, East Bay gear and Basketball Madness T-shirts. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in attendance at 9 p.m. Oct. 18 to help us open basketball season with a bang.
In addition to Basketball Madness, we’ve got a few other great promotional events coming up in the next month. Come out to cheer on Pioneer soccer this Friday, when we’ll be celebrating students’ return to campus with Pioneer Bookstore gift card giveaways, if we get 125 or more students to attend. Also, join us for men’s soccer at Pioneer Stadium on Oct. 13 when we will attempt to set a new attendance record! If we reach 500 CSUEB students in attendance, one lucky student will win an iPad. We’ll also be looking to Jam the Gym on Oct. 25 when the volleyball team meets Cal State LA; fans will receive a voucher for free Chipotle, if we reach 500 in attendance.
Other events to keep on the radar include: volleyball’s Battle of the Bay matchup with San Francisco State on Oct. 20, Fan Appreciation Day at soccer on Oct. 28 and our two breast cancer awareness month events - soccer’s Kick for a Cure on Oct. 21 and volleyball’s Dig Pink Night on Oct. 26.
Welcome back to campus! We hope to see you supporting our teams and student-athletes throughout the year.
Go Pioneers!