The California Collegiate Athletic Association's final standings reflect an SF State men’s soccer team ending a disappointing season with a record of 4-8-4 in CCAA play (7-9-4 overall) and a fifth place finish, not enough to clinch a playoff spot.

The standings do not convey a hardworking Gator squad that went 3-1 against nationally ranked teams, who beat their rivals in away games and allowed 10 less goals than last year, all with a young team whose freshmen outnumbered the seniors.

“We exceeded expectations,” head coach Joe Hunter said. “We were able to have a lot of young players perform at a high level. Attitude, competitiveness and discipline on and off the field was very good.”

Hunter, 44, has been with SF State for 10 years, and was very pleased with a team he described as being “very soccer savvy.”

“Our team is very good at listening, very coachable and applying talents,” Hunter said.

Although Hunter was pulling for forward Dylan Glass to win the Freshman of the Year award, the only two SF State players honored by the CCAA were junior, Casey Poston and senior, George Nixon.

Both players made the All-CCAA second team, voted in by a panel made up of the conference’s head coaches.

The Freshman of the Year award went to midfielder Tony Choi from UC San Diego, who was outscored in a showdown during the Gator’s final home stand by Dylan Glass.

For the Gators, however, the success of the team is what counts, and the playoffs are most important.

“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Glass said of his six goals on the season. “I am always looking to get better. Overall, it would be great to make the playoffs. I’ve never been, never experienced it.”

Glass and his teammates agreed that the high point of the 2006 season came on the road with consecutive victories over Sonoma State and Seattle University. Both Sonoma State and Seattle University are nationally ranked teams that advanced to the playoffs. The Gators chewed them up before their home crowds.

“The Sonoma State game was special to me, being alumni,” coach Hunter said, who graduated in 1987 from where he once played and served as an assistant coach.

Three days after defeating Sonoma State, the Gators completed their first-ever sweep of the Seattle schools by ousting Seattle University, 1-0, on a goal by Casey Poston.

“Every ranked team we played against, we played well,” Poston said. “It was an up and down season. Most of our losses were close games. Nothing really set us back.”

Poston echoed the excitement of fielding a more experienced, young team next season and praised the performance of an unlikely player, goalkeeper Ezra Mendoza, who started the season as a backup.

“Ezra is the most inspirational player on the team,” Poston said. Mendoza is a player that fought his way into the starting goalkeeper position.

Mendoza’s effort and work ethic alone raised the eyebrows of players and coaches.

“What Ezra doesn’t have in perfect form sometimes he picks up for in heart,” Hunter said, impressed with the keeper’s improvement. “He is a very motivating factor and a hardworking guy.”

Mendoza voiced his high expectations for next year’s team, which will begin the season with momentum and a strong core.

“This team is strong,” Mendoza said. “We have showed that we are able to play with the best in the nation. We just need to pull it together.”

Some players recalled games that would have ended much differently if Mendoza hadn’t logged one of his 85 saves on the season.

“It’s all about work ethic,” Mendoza said. “If you work hard and keep at it, anything is possible.”