There are no more non-conference contests left in the regular season for the Fresno State women's soccer team. The only thing standing between them and a top seed in the Western Athletic Conference tournament are four weeks and six matches. The Bulldogs' journey to defend their title begins with two tough road matches.

About the San Jose State (2-9-0)
The Spartans are a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Head Coach Jeff Leightman is in his fourth year with the program and has a 30-33-3 record. A key player to watch is Kelsey Lord. The junior leads the team in points (7) after recording three goals and an assist this season.

About University of Hawai’i (3-8-0)
The Rainbow Wahine are a member of the Western Athletic Conference. This is Head Coach Michele Nagamine’s first year with the program. A key player to watch is Brittani Lum. The senior has five goals this season and leads the team in points with 11.

This Isn’t Sparta
Fresno State leads the series 13-6-2 but Head Coach Brian Zwaschka is 0-2-1 against the Spartans. The teams last met in WAC Championship match on Nov. 7, 2010. Despite the match remaining tied 0-0 at the end of the second overtime, the Bulldogs won their third tournament title on penalty kicks (3-1).

Late Night Battle
The match with Hawai’i will kickoff at 9 p.m. PST and is the latest match the ’Dogs will play this year. Fresno State leads the series 8-7-2. The last time the ’Dogs traveled to the islands, they came away with a 1-0 win on Oct. 4, 2009. Zwaschka is 1-1 against the Rainbow Wahine.

Bulldogs vs. The WAC
Fresno State is 72-52-17 against Western Athletic Conference opponents all-time. Since taking the helm of the Bulldogs, Zwascka has a 17-9-4 record in conference action. The ’Dogs earned 46 shutouts against WAC opponents over the past 10 seasons, with 40 ending in wins. Five of the shutout wins were against San Jose State and four were vs. Hawai’i.

No Tricks, Just Skill
Junior Callie Hancock battled through sickness to have the match of her career against CSU Bakersfield on Sunday, Oct. 2. The forward netted her first collegiate hat trick and lifted the ’Dogs to a 3-1 win. It was a performance that earned her Sysco Student-Athlete of the Week for Sept. 26-Oct. 2. The last ’Dog to pull the feat was Nicole Gutierrez(Sept. 28, 2007) against UTEP.

Team Effort Leads to National Rankings
Fresno State sits among the top 70 teams in the nation at the NCAA Division I level in four cagories: save percentage (54), shutout percentage (56), scoring offense (62) and won-lost-tied percentage (70) .

More Than A Number, A National Name
There are two Bulldogs ranked nationally in offensive categories:
Senior Molly Nizzoli
14th Total Assists
34th Assists per Game

Junior Callie Hancock
101st Goals per Game
103rd Points per Game

Going Streaking
Fresno State is on a six-match unbeaten streak with four wins and two ties under its belt. The longest unbeaten streak belongs to the 1999 squad who went 12 matches without a loss.

Taking Care of Business
Freshman Katie DeVault is ranked nationally in three different. The two-time WAC Defensive Player of the Week is ranked 17th in total saves. She is also ranked 59th in save percentage and 149th in goals-against-average. She is the only WAC athlete ranked in total saves.

Leaders of the Pack
At the end of week one, the Fresno State women’s soccer team led the Western Athletic Conference in five categories: points (10.5), goals (6), goals per game (3.00), assists (9) and assists per game (4.50). The Bulldogs currently lead the WAC in points (76), Goals (25), goals per game (1.92), assists (26) and assists per game (2.00). The Bulldogs are second in shots (194), saves (80), shutouts (6) and corners (74), while committing the lowest number of fouls (98). Fresno State holds the game-high in team assists for 2011 with six (Aug. 21 vs UTSA).

Among the Best in the West
The Fresno State women’s soccer team has been ranked as high as 9th in the west region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The Bulldogs currently sit 10th.

High Endurance Not A Challenge
Several Bulldogs have put in serious minutes on the pitch. Out of 1,236 mins of gametime, senior Kendall VanDine and sophomore Kayla Kret have played the full 1,236 for the ’Dogs this year. Senior Molly Nizzoli, sophomore Lauren Lindstrom and freshman Katie DeVault have also each put in 90 minutes or more in at least 10 of the 13 matches.

“We Are Your Team!” Remember that your Bulldogs are home next on Oct. 21st when the Louisiana Lady Techsters come to town in a Western Athletic Conference match. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and all home women’s soccer matches are FREE. You can always stay connected with Fresno State Athletics on Facebook (fresnostateathletics) and Twitter (@FSAthletics).

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