CSUN Can Halt Big Sky Parades

Cal State Northridge can help spoil a couple of potential parties at Eastern Washington.

The Matadors travel to Cheney, Wash., for a women’s volleyball match tonight and a football game Saturday, both with Big Sky Conference championship ramifications for the Eagles.

Eastern Washington is 11-2 in Big Sky women’s volleyball, just ahead of idle Cal State Sacramento (11-3). Each have two matches to play after tonight but a first-place tie gives Sacramento the title and the nod to play host to the Big Sky tournament because the Hornets swept two matches from Eastern Washington.

Not that Eastern Washington is necessarily concerned about Northridge (6-8), which is battling to finish sixth or higher to qualify for the tournament. The Matadors lost twice to Eastern Washington this season, once at the Nevada Las Vegas tournament in September.

In football, the Matadors (3-3 in Big Sky play) can open the door for Montana State (4-2) to deadlock Eastern Washington (6-1) for the top spot.

Montana State would need two victories to tie the Eagles and grab the automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs because it defeated Eastern Washington, 17-7, on Oct. 4.

*

It has been quite a season for Dan Lazarovits, a senior end at Northridge.

With three sacks in Northridge’s 31-22 victory over Idaho State on Saturday, Lazarovits reached 19 1/2 to set a Matador career record, surpassing linebacker Ken Wallace’s 17 1/2 sacks in 1989 and ’90.

Lazarovits, a former linebacker at Taft High, has 10 sacks this season. Wallace owns the school’s single-season record with 14 1/2 sacks in 1990.

*

Jenny Treglown, who went to Royal High and is a middle blocker at Northern Arizona, was selected Big Sky player of the week for the third time this season.

Treglown, a 6-foot senior, had 25 kills, 15 digs and five blocks in Northern Arizona victories over Montana and Montana State.

*

After 26 consecutive losses, third-longest active streak in the nation among junior college football teams, the chance to break through has never looked better for Pierce.

The Brahmas (0-8, 0-3) play host to Glendale (1-7, 1-2) in a Western State Conference Northern Division game Saturday night at Pierce.

Pierce’s Dan McMullen, hobbled by a hip injury in recent weeks, returned last week against Santa Barbara and passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns. Despite losing, Pierce’s passing attack, ranked third in the WSC, has been potent.

Glendale is ranked ninth in total defense, and stopping the pass has been a problem. Glendale is coming off a 46-0 loss to Bakersfield.

“Pierce scores on everybody,” Glendale Coach John Cicuto said. “We’re hoping it will rain.”

*

Brent Carder wouldn’t mind rain, either.

Carder’s Antelope Valley football team plays at San Bernardino on Saturday night with first place in the Foothill Conference at stake. Both teams are 6-2, 5-1 in conference, and the victor will clinch at least a share of the conference title.

Antelope Valley must defend against quarterback Moses Herrera, the state’s second-ranked passer. Moreover, the Marauders have not defeated San Bernardino since a 7-0 victory at Antelope Valley in 1991.

“It was pouring,” Carder recalled. “Coming down at an angle, too.”

*

Moorpark will try for its first state dual-meet wrestling championship when the Raiders play host to Fresno City on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Moorpark (11-1) is the Southern region champion and ranked No. 2 in the state. The Raiders’ only loss was to top-ranked Fresno, 20-14, on Oct. 10. Moorpark won state individual titles in 1990 and 1991 but have never won a dual meet title.

Ati Conner of Moorpark, 25-0 at 167 pounds, is ranked first in the state. Juan Roman, 22-1, is ranked second at 126 pounds. Gabe Roman, 21-2, is ranked first at 158.

*

Cal Lutheran hasn’t lost to an NCAA Division III men’s soccer opponent this season.

“And I’m knocking on wood everywhere,” Kingsmen Coach Dan Kuntz said.

The Kingsmen (15-2-2) will face Claremont-Mudd in the semifinals of the Division III West regional championships at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cal Lutheran.

The other semifinal will follow at 1:30 p.m. and pits Colorado College against Macalester (Minn.). The title match is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Cal Lutheran.

Cal Lutheran, making its first appearance in the playoffs since 1991 and playing host to the regional championships for the first time, beat Claremont-Mudd, 4-2, last month, and the teams tied, 1-1, in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament last week.

Cal Lutheran, which takes a 16-game unbeaten streak into Saturday’s game, defeated Colorado College, 2-1, in Colorado Springs in the second match of the season, and the Kingsmen are coming off a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

*

Staff writers Fernando Dominguez and Vince Kowalick and correspondent Lauren Peterson contributed to this notes column.