With the COVID-19 outbreak now officially classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, educational institutions have begun taking steps to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has killed more than 4,000 people globally.
Universities and community colleges in the San Diego region have reacted by limiting events on their campuses.
Southwestern College announced on Wednesday it would be closing its campus beginning on Monday for a minimum two-week period. Classes will be held online as a precaution.
As part of the directive, the campus pool will be closed, temporarily displacing the four Sweetwater Union High School schools that utilize the facility for practices and swim meets.
High school sports teams have thus directly become affected by decisions made to close college facilities.
The California Interscholastic Federation announced Thursday morning that it has cancelled the remaining state basketball playoffs, including Saturday’s championship games in Sacramento.
The San Diego Section is expected to make an announcement on Monday regarding the status of the spring sports season.
San Diego State University elected to limit access to on-campus sporting events, in a statement issued Wednesday, based on guidance from the NCAA COVID-19 advisory panel and local and state health agencies.
Access was to be limited to participating student-athletes from SDSU and its opponent, coaches, officials, essential game-management staff, media, student-athletes’ families and SDSU recruits.
SDSU subsequently amended that statement on Thursday, along with the Mountain West Conference, to immediately suspend game competition for all spring sports.
The university stated that while there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in the SDSU community at this time, out of an abundance of caution, these preventive measures are being taken to ensure the well-being of the campus and regional community.
The SDSU athletic department will continue to work with the university as well as NCAA and local health officials to ensure that best practices are being followed and if additional precautions are advised.
As updated information becomes available, it will be listed on GoAztecs.com and changes to scheduled events can be found on the individual team schedule page at that website.
The San Diego Loyal has postponed Saturday’s USL Championship regular season match against Rio Grande Valley FC at Torero Stadium to July 29 in accordance with the University of San Diego’s decision to limit campus events.
The Loyal, which attracted a sellout crowd of 6,100 fans to its home opener last Saturday at USD, had the option of playing the game without spectators but decided to postpone the match to a later date.
Saturday’s match was to have served as Chula Vista Celebration Night as part of the expansion club’s City Nights initiative.
Tickets purchased for Saturday’s game will be honored on the new July 29 date.
“Taking care of fans, players and staff is the highest priority at SD Loyal, and the club carefully weighed its options when making the decision to postpone the match,” SD Loyal President Warren Smith said in a statement released by the club. “While we had the option to play without fans in attendance, similar to the match played (Wednesday on the road) against Tacoma Defiance, we felt it was in the best interest of our fans to postpone.
“SD Loyal is a team of the fans, and we want to do all that we can to ensure they get to see their club play. Amid the concerns over COVID-19, we also want to take all appropriate precautions for the safety of our staff, players and fans. We are grateful to Rio Grande Valley FC for agreeing to reschedule the match, and we look forward to playing them here in July.”
At this time, the university is limiting public gatherings as a means to reduce the risk of exposure for students, faculty, staff and the community at large.
On Thursday, the Loyal released a statement the team is suspending play for 30 days following a decision by the USL.
The Loyal’s next scheduled match is a friendly against Xolos de Tijuana on March 28. That game will not be played as scheduled.
“We fully support the USL’s decision to suspend play for the safety of our players, staff and community,” Smith said. “In keeping with that decision, the club is suspending all SD Loyal match play, including friendlies, for the next 30 days. We are committed to doing everything possible to reschedule these matches so that San Diego can see their club play. We appreciate the support and understanding of our fans during this time.”
Season ticket members and single match ticket buyers will be honored for future dates, the club said in a statement.
The Loyal will continue to evaluate its schedule on a match-by-match basis in consultation with health officials and the league. Season ticket Members and single match buyers tickets will be honored for future dates, the club said in a statement.
Milestone victory
The Loyal recorded its first win of the season Wednesday night with a 2-1 verdict over the host Tacoma Defiance while playing in an empty stadium.
The match was played behind closed doors following a decision by Washington governor Jay Inslee to suspend large public gatherings due to developments in the region regarding COVID-19.
Francis Atuahene scored both Loyal goals to help the team remain undefeated (one win, one tie). Atuahene scored in the 31st minute to put the visitors ahead 1-0 and later in the 85th minute with the game-winner.
Goalkeeper Jon Kempin saw his first game action for the Loyal. He made a point-blank save following Tacoma’s goal in the 35th minute by Justin Dhillon to prevent the hosts from taking the lead.
Local locos
The Loyal kicked off its season with a 1-1 draw against the Las Vegas Lights. Charlie Adams tied the game in the 15th minute for the hosts to salvage a point in the standings after a looping goal by Junior Burgos gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.
Burgos was named “man of the match” after creating several exciting scoring chances in the high energy contest.
Both teams had opportunities throughout the second half to break the tie, though Las Vegas, coached by former U.S. national team standout Eric Wynalda, seemed to own the better scoring chances.
Team 1 manager Landon Donovan expressed a desire to see more from his team following the season opening result.
“I think we can do better, and the guys know that,” Donovan after the match. “We’re a new team, a young team. The team is still gelling, but in the end, there are some things we need to do better. We know that.”
“It was our first game and we learn from it and we know that if we can keep working, things will work out our way,” Loyal midfielder Carlos Alvarez said. “We need to keep working and trust our coaches. They always give us a great plan, we come out and try to execute it. We need to do that in our next game. We need to work and figure out a way to shorten the field so that the opponent can’t score.”
The Loyal has five San Diego natives listed on its roster, including Chula Vistans’ Austin Guerrero (Otay Ranch High School) and Jordan Chavez (Mater Dei Catholic High School).
Guerrero, one of four goalkeepers on the team, previously played for North Carolina FC, Alianza Puebla, Altamira FC and Tigres UANL after closing his collegiate career at the University of Portland.
Guerrero gained prominence with the Surf Soccer Club. He participated in the U.S. U-20 national team training camp in 2008.
The Mustangs won the San Diego Section Division I championship title in 2007 with a 5-1 win over Granite Hills.
Chavez previously played at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas following a career (2011-15) with Albion SC. He earned First Team All-Mesa League honors as a defender his senior year with the Crusaders after the team finished runner-up in the 2015 Division II playoffs.
Other San Diegans on the Loyal roster include goalkeeper Jake Fenalson (Rancho Bernardo High School), defender Sal Zizzo (Patrick Henry High School) and midfielder Eric Avila (La Costa Canyon High School).
Zizzo, the Loyal’s first player signing, made 72 appearances for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer from 2015-17.
March Sadness
The National Basketball Association has temporarily suspended its season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. The league announced the suspension of play on Wednesday and it is expected to last at least two weeks while the league mulls how to advance the rest of the season, including how to resume play to complete the regular season and upcoming playoffs.
The National Hockey League followed suit on Thursday by putting its season on hold.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a lengthy statement:
“In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019?20 season beginning with tonight’s games.
“The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures. However, following last night’s news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus – and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point – it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time.
“We will continue to monitor all the appropriate medical advice, and we will encourage our players and other members of the NHL community to take all reasonable precautions – including by self-quarantine, where appropriate. Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup. Until then, we thank NHL fans for your patience and hope you stay healthy.”
The National Hockey League Players Association called the decision to temporarily suspend the season “an appropriate course of action at this time.”
The American Hockey League, which serves as the NHL’s player development league, issued a statement Thursday afternoon that it, too, would suspend its season until further notice, effective immediately, with the health and safety of its players, officials, staff and fans of primary importance due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The league said it would continue to monitor developments and would provide updates on the 2019-20 season at the appropriate time.
The Cleveland Monsters had announced on Wednesday that it would play Sunday’s scheduled AHL game without fans in attendance.
The San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the NHL Anaheim Ducks, were scheduled to play a home game Friday against the San Jose Barracuda at Pechanga Arena San Diego. That game will now not be played as scheduled.
The Gulls subsequently issued a statement following that issued by the league:
“The San Diego Gulls fully support the decision made by the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the American Hockey League’s decision to suspend play until further notice, effective immediately. These unprecedented steps are being taken for the betterment and well-being of the San Diego community we are proud to be part of. The health and safety of everyone associated with our games, including fans, staff, players and working personnel, continues to be our number one priority.
“The Gulls will continue to consult with the State of California, local health officials and the AHL as we closely monitor developments regarding COVID-19. As this situation remains fluid, the Gulls will provide further information in the near future, including ticket procedures.
“Most importantly, the San Diego Gulls send best wishes to those impacted by the virus.”
The Gulls completed a lengthy seven-game road trip with a 4-2 win in Tucson Wednesday night to pick up nine of a possible 14 points on the two-week jaunt with four wins, two losses and one overtime loss.
The Gulls (30-19-6-2) have 11 games, including six home games, remaining on their regular season schedule and would qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs should the season end today.
Other organizations continue to monitor the situation with caution.
USA Hockey has officially cancelled several segments of its upcoming national championship tournaments, including those for high school, youth, girls, adult and sled teams.
Major League Soccer has joined the NHL and NBA in suspending its season for a minimum of 30 days while it continues to assess the impact of COVID-19.
US Soccer has announced that all men’s and women’s national team games scheduled to be played in March and April have been canceled. Ticket refunds will be honored.
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy has suspended all its regular season boys and girls games through the end of April.
US Youth Soccer has suspended play in all regional leagues through April 15, and will make a reassessment on April 1.
The National Independent Soccer Association has elected to suspend its spring season for 30 days.
“We are hopeful that enough progress can be made with this virus where we can resume our spring 2020 season,” NISA Commissioner John W. Prutch said in a statement. “Due to our structure and schedule, we will have time to make up those games, but for now, we wish everyone health and wellness.”
San Diego 1904 kicked off its 2020 spring schedule with a pair of draws. The team, which is currently playing its home games at Lincoln High School, opened the season with a 2-2 tie at Stumptown Athletic in a road match in North Carolina on Feb. 29.
The San Diego team played to a 0-0 tie in Sunday’s home opener against the California United Strikers.
The NCAA had announced that first- and second-round tournament games scheduled March 20 and March 22 would be played in closed facilities with only essential staff and limited team family members in attendance before officially cancelling those tournaments.
In a flurry of statements, several conferences announced they had cancelled their scheduled tournaments. The Pac-12 announced Thursday morning it would suspend play at the quarterfinal stage.
The Pac-12 issued a statement that read:
“The Pac-12 Conference has made the decision to cancel the remainder of the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament and all Pac-12 sport competitions and Pac-12 championship events, effectively immediately, until further notice. This decision has been made in consultation with our member universities in an effort to limit the spread of the virus and in the interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes, campus personnel, working and event personnel, and all those who attend Pac-12 events.”
Several conference tournaments serve as qualifiers for the NCAA’s Division I championship tournament and determine seeding in the 68-team draw.
The cancellations of so many qualifying tournaments led to the inevitable: the NCAA subsequently cancelled March Madness.
Utah State had become the nation’s first automatic qualifier after stunning San Diego State, 59-56, in Saturday’s Mountain West tournament championship game in Las Vegas. Sam Merrill sank a three-point shot with 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation to allow the Aggies to score the upset win over the top-seeded and fifth-ranked Aztecs.
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher had hoped the NCAA would postpone the tournament.
However, the NCAA went a step further by cancelling all winter and spring sports championships.
SDSU and the Mountain West followed the NCAA lead by cancelling the 2020 spring sports season. This is applicable to all SDSU spring sports.
The SDSU athletic department issued the following statement: “Given the fluid situation, San Diego State will suspend all team activities, including practices, this weekend. SDSU will continue to monitor the situation to determine next steps.”
SDSU’s baseball team, which includes several South County standouts on its roster, was off to a 10-6 start.
Eastlake High School alumnus Casey Schmitt ranked second on the team with a .323 hitting average with nine RBI and two triples.
Former Titan Brian Leonhardt was hitting .269 with 12 RBI while posting a 2.08 earned-run average in four pitching appearances.
Ricky Tibbett, a member of Eastlake’s 2019 Open Division championship team, had yet to yield an earned run in three appearances as a freshman.
Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that it will delay the start of regular season play by at least two weeks, with all spring training games cancelled.
Major League Rugby announced Thursday that it would suspend it season 30 days, effective immediately, to assess the impact of the COVID-19 virus.
The San Diego Legion, which plays its home games at Torero Stadium, currently sits in first place among the league’s active 12 teams with a 5-0 record that includes an impressive 53-7 point differential.
The Major Arena Soccer League, of which the San Diego Sockers are members, also issued a statement on Thursday regarding the status of its season:
“The Major Arena Soccer League has decided to end the 2019-2020 regular season effective immediately. The league’s Board of Directors voted unanimously this afternoon to act in the best interests of the players, staff and fans of the league. The decision to end the regular season follows the direction seen in other professional sports across North America, such as the NHL, NBA, AHL, and others along with directives and restrictions from local
governments in MASL communities.”
“It’s a disappointing end to an exciting regular season, but the health and safety of our players, fans and staff is paramount,” MASL Commissioner Joshua Schaub said. “It was a significant sacrifice for our owners to forego the remaining regular season games, but it was the appropriate decision considering the gravity of the situation.”
The MASL will continue to monitor developments and provide updates on the league and the status of league events at a later date
The Sockers, who play their home games at Pechanga Arena San Diego, also issued a statement:
“The Sockers fully support the decision of the MASL and will work closely and in real time with the league to monitor developments and provide updates on the status of league events at a later date. Our fans can continue to follow updates on the club on our social
channels @sandiegosockers and @somossockers.”
The Sockers had clinched a berth in the upcoming MASL playoffs based on their regular season record of 15-6 through 21 games.
The Sockers ranked second among Western Conference teams in the standings to the Monterey Flash (20-2).
The MASL is fielding 17 teams this season. Regular season play was to continue through March 22.
The Sockers had recorded one of their biggest wins of the 2019-20 season after defeating the defending Ron Newman Cup champion Milwaukee Wave, 6-5, in a shootout Feb. 29 at Pechanga Arena.
The Sockers recorded a 6-2 victory against the Tacoma Stars on Sunday in front of 2,412 fans to post their ninth consecutive home win to move within one win of clinching second place in the Western Conference standings and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
New acquisition Gerardo Jurado, a Tijuana native and current Chula Vista resident, impressed the Sockers coaching staff with a pair of power-play goals.
San Diego improved to 3-0 against Tacoma (8-12) this season.
“We won our individual battles, we were organized, and we communicated well,” said goalkeeper Boris Pardo, who stopped 14 of 16 shots, of the club’s defensive effort,
Pardo said the team was “feeling confident” heading into the playoffs.
The National Premier Soccer League, of which ASC San Diego is a member club, is temporarily suspending play.
“The NPSL has been monitoring the COVID-19 (coronavirus) diligently,” the league issued in a statement on Friday. “Considering recent events, the NPSL is temporarily suspending our West Region season for the remainder of March 2020 with a current plan to resume play on April 4th. This is effective tonight at midnight local time.
“The situation is fluid, and the league is monitoring the situation daily. The NPSL will revisit the length of the suspension a week prior to April 4th. We will communicate any change in status of the 2020 season.”
The 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has elected to temporarily suspend the tournament for 30 days. The first three rounds of competition dates wereoriginally set for March 24-25, April 7-9 and April 21-23.
Chula Vista FC was scheduled to meet ASC San Diego in a first round match March 24, with the winner advancing to meet San Diego 1904 in early April.
The National Lacrosse League, which is fielding 13 teams this season, including the San Diego Seals, has also suspended its season.
“The National Lacrosse League has determined that it is in the best interests of our fans, our players, our coaches and our staff to temporarily suspend play until further notice due to concerns over COVID-19,” NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said in a statement from the league. “We will continue to evaluate this situation and remain in constant communication with health, team, business and league officials across North America. Security and safety is our top priority and focus in these challenging and unprecedented times, and we will continue to provide updates on resumption and rescheduling of play as they are determined.”
The Seals defeated the visiting Rochester Knighthawks, 19-6, last Friday behind five goals from Casey Jackson and six assists from Wesley Berg and 25 saves by Frank Scigliano. The win evened the Seals’ record at 6-6.
The San Diego Strike Force was set to kick off its 2020 Indoor Football home season with a scheduled game Saturday at Pechanga Arena against Cedar Rapids. However, that game has been postponed, the team has announced.
The Strike Force, which holds team practices in Otay Ranch, won its season opener, 50-36, at the Bismarck Bucks on Sunday as quarterback Michael Carrillo passed for 132 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Carrillo, who played collegiate football at Grossmont College and San Jose State University, passed for 4,226 yards and 51 touchdowns during his two seasons as a starter at Chrisitan High School in El Cajon.
The XFL’s 2020 revival season also has become a casualty after the eight-team league announced its has cancelled the rest of its regular season games. The league completed half of its planned 10-week regular season schedule.
Two rounds of playoffs were scheduled to be played in April. The league has not issued a statement whether an attempt at some form of postseason competition will be conducted.
The Houston Roughnecks were the league’s lone undefeated team at 5-0.
The league had averaged 18,614 fans per game, with St. Louis and Seattle being the hotbeds for fans, and had posted very respectable television ratings.
Former Mater Dei Catholic and San Diego standout Nico Siragusa was listed as an offensive guard on the roster of the Los Angeles Wildcats (2-3). Former University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson has passed for 1,076 yards — second most in the league.
Former Southwestern College quarterback Luis Perez (Otay Ranch) had played in three games for the New York Guardians, having passed for 418 yards with three touchdowns, one interception and a 92.1 passer rating.
He replaced New York starter Matt McGloin in the team’s Week 3 game against the St. Louis BattleHawks, completing four of five passes for 39 yards and one touchdown.
Perez led the Guardians to back-to-back wins in the team’s next two games before the season was suspended. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 150 yards with one touchdown in a 17-14 victory over the Wildcats on Feb. 29 and passed for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 30-12 win over the Dallas Renegades on Saturday.
