CAL LUTHERAN NOTEBOOK: CLU WOMEN TRY TO PULL OUT OF SLUMP.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

The hard times that started to plague Cal Lutheran's men's soccer team a few weeks ago have spread to the women's soccer team.

The Regals entered Wednesday's game at Whittier having lost three of their last four games. Last week's 3-2 loss at Pomona-Pitzer was the program's first ever conference loss on the road - and just the second Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss overall - and provided the first back-to-back losses of the season.

This is the first season the SCIAC champion gets an automatic berth in the playoffs, so the Regals are hoping this is not the year they end their streak of eight consecutive conference titles. CLU rebounded from the loss to Pomona-Pitzer and maintained its hold on first place by beating Occidental 4-0 on Saturday. Nonconference opponent Wheaton shut out CLU 3-0 on Tuesday.

The Regals play their final home game of the regular season Saturday at 11 a.m. against La Verne, then finish next week at Claremont and Redlands.

Outside help required: The Kingsmen soccer team started the second half of SCIAC play with a 3-0 win against Occidental on Saturday, but after losing three games during the first half, CLU is going to need some help from the rest of the conference to defend its SCIAC championship. Saturday's win was only the second in seven games for the Kingsmen, who had two overtime losses during the stretch.

Lars Ensberg and Andrew Montenegro continue to provide consistent offense and Matt Mahler does a solid job in goal, but a variety of injuries have taken their toll. CLU has five more SCIAC games, starting with a 1:30 p.m. contest at home Saturday against La Verne, the last team it beat before the slide began.

Not wasting any time: CLU's women's volleyball team improved to 7-0 in SCIAC play by defeating Redlands 15-3, 15-1, 15-1 in 48 minutes Tuesday night. Freshman Sally Jaharus led the Regals (13-9) with seven kills and six digs in the win that came a little more than a week after sweeping Chapman in 43 minutes.

CLU's winning streak was snapped at seven matches Saturday when Whitney handed the Regals their first home loss of the year. CLU went five games against the No. 5 team in the country but lost the final game 18-16.

Kristensen alone at the top: Geir Kristensen, who has been CLU's top finisher in each men's cross country meet this season and last, again outdistanced his teammates and most of the rest of the field at Saturday's SCIAC multi-dual meet. In the final meet before the SCIAC championships on Oct. 30, the junior finished second (26:26) in the 8,000-meter race at La Mirada Park.

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PHOTO (color) Jamie Arnold, left, Nichole Gagnon, right, and the Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team own a 7-0 record in SCIAC play.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer