THE MASTER'S NOTEBOOK: MASTER'S STILL SOLID IN DEFENSE.

The defense is still solid, from goalkeeper Eric Pattison through his wall of experienced defenders Nathan Burr, Lucas Bongarra and Chad Hartman.

Yes, The Master's College men's soccer team's blueprint for success starts in the back row. But the nation's No. 3 team has added more goal-scoring punch this year.

That's good timing for a team making its debut in the rugged Golden State Athletic Conference. The Mustangs open league play on Saturday at No. 10 Westmont.

In an 18-5 2000 season, the Mustangs scored 45 goals but needed their defense to be almost perfect in winning nine 1-0 matches.

During an 8-0 start this year, The Master's is well ahead of a 45-goal pace with 25. But behind the senior standout Pattison, who last year established school season records for shutouts (12) and goals-against average (0.80), the Mustangs have three more 1-0 wins thus far.

``Our defense has been playing very well, (so) that he hasn't had a lot of shots,'' Rickard said of Pattison.

``But he's had to come up with some big saves. And he has a calming effect on everyone. We know he's good and we almost work harder and work with confidence, instead of thinking every time it's down here, they might score on us.''

The returning defensive starters, Bongarra, Burr and Hartman, all have played well, as has junior transfer Tyler Hergenrader.

The Mustangs, like most good teams, set up offensive chances off their defenders' crisp passes.

``If your defense isn't playing well, it kind of kills your forwards and their momentum going up (the field),'' Burr said.

``If you have a good defensive line, they win the ball all the time and make good transition plays to turn it over to the midfield.''

--Always a big one: The Westmont-Master's rivalry is one of the most spirited in the GSAC. Even though this is the Mustangs' first season in the conference.

The schools have a history of meeting in postseason competition, with Westmont winning 2-0 in the Region II semifinals last year at Reese Field.

``On our end, we always felt Azusa and Westmont were big-time rivals. But I think on their end, they thought, 'Well, it's not conference,' '' Rickard said. ``We're going to feel that really soon.''

Senior forward Anthon Brueggeman, the Mustangs' leading scorer with 10 goals, said this Westmont match is one of the first he can remember in which his team is supposed to win.

``This year I think we have a lot more confidence than in the past,'' he said. ``We can feel the tension now and everybody is excited about it.''

--The Notre Dame factor: The women's soccer team also makes its GSAC debut at Westmont at 4 p.m. today. But the Mustangs won't be considered the favorite considering the Warriors are ranked fourth in the country.

A plus for The Master's is its performance against opponents common to Westmont.

The Mustangs beat College of Notre Dame de Namur of Belmont 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 7. That same Notre Dame team came back and defeated Westmont 1-0 last Saturday.

But the Mustangs will need clutch performances from junior forward Sara Riojas, senior Stacey Holsinger and freshman Deann Matteson to have a chance.

That trio has accounted for 10 of the Mustangs' 13 goals and eight of 13 assists. The assist total was leading the GSAC.

--Odds and ends: The Mustangs' cross country teams run in the Cal Lutheran Invitational in Thousand Oaks on Saturday. The women race at 9 a.m. and the men at 9:45 a.m. ...

Transfer Tyler Hergenrader will be a frequent visitor to Reese Field, which also houses the Mustangs' baseball diamond.

Hergenrader will join the baseball team next year. He was a two-sport star at Fresno City College and attended the same high school, Fresno's Hoover High, as The Master's basketball and baseball-playing Penberthy brothers Mike, Aaron and Joey.