"Everything we have done to this point doesn't matter.
We have six
games left, three at home and three on the road, and how we do in those
will determine the conference champion. We are capable of getting 21
points if we win out and that's our goal.
"The fact that we're still alive in the race is pretty
interesting. What
has happened around the conference is as I predicted -- a lot of close
games. UC Riverside tying Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara losing
at
home to UC Irvine last week is indicative of the strength of this league
top to bottom.
"This has been a rallying point for us. Basically,
we're down to
one-game seasons, beginning with UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night. We
look forward to playing them. We led them 3-2 at their place and lost
(4-3) in double overtime when we were down a man. We beat them here
last year. They are probably in the NCAA playoffs unless they totally
collapse, so second place is a meaningful goal. Apparently they have
collected an armload of yellow and red cards and it's conceivable that
has affected their play of late.
"If we are healthy, we have a chance. My concern is
for Andrew Sam,
Sean Gallinger, Izzy Mello and Farzad Samari, all of whom didn't
practice Wednesday. But we are working diligently to get ready for this
match."
