BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—Coming off a pair of home victories, the CSU Bakersfield men's soccer team looks to continue to build on the momentum with road matches at Houston Baptist and UTRGV this week. The Roadrunners begin play Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. (CDT) against the Huskies before heading to Edinburg to play the Vaqueros on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CST).
This is the sixth time that CSUB and Houston Baptist are playing men's soccer. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series 3-1-1. The Huskies defeated the 'Runners for the first time last season, 3-1, in Bakersfield. The Huskies are 7-7-1, 3-3-1 in WAC play entering this week. Marcelo Acuna is tied for fourth in the WAC in points (19) with two other players. He is tied for fourth in the league in goals (8) with three others.
UTRGV is in its first season as a varsity program. The Vaqueros are 4-10-1, 1-6, in WAC play. Four players have combined (2 each) for eight of the 15 Vaquero goals this season. The UTRGV defense is a stingy one as the Vaqueros have only given up 20 goals in 15 matches this season. UTRGV's Leo Castillo leads the league in saves (78).
With only two weeks left in the regular season, the 'Runners find themselves with the fourth seed in the WAC Tournament. CSUB has 11 points entering the week. Seattle U (21) leads the WAC. Utah Valley (16) is second. UNLV (13) is third followed by UIW (12).
UIW is ineligible for the conference tournament as the Cardinals continue to transition to Division I, moving CSUB into a potential fourth place slot in the conference tournament standings. Houston Baptist and San Jose State are tied for sixth with 10 points. Air Force and Missouri-Kansas City are tied for eighth with seven points. Grand Canyon (6) is 10th, followed by UTRGV (3).
Bakersfield's Christian Duarte and Jamie Carey-Morrell were named Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for Oct. 19-25. Duarte, a senior midfielder from Houston, Texas (Clear Springs HS), led CSUB to a 2-0 week with two goals and an assist. He scored the first goal for the Roadrunners in both matches on the week in a 2-1 win over Air Force and a 3-0 win over Missouri-Kansas City. His assist came on Julian Zamora's goal, the final tally of Sunday's victory over UMKC.
Carey-Morrell, a sophomore defender from Stevenage, England (The Nobel School), led the Roadrunner defense to a pair of wins and assisted on offense as well, posing three assists on the weekend. Against Air Force, he helped recorded assists on both goals to lead CSUB to a 2-1 win. On Sunday against UMKC, he picked up one assist while helping hold the Kangaroos to just two shots on goal in the shutout.
This is the first time since CSUB joined the WAC in 2013 that the Roadrunners have swept the weekly honors.
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