California State University at Northridge
UC Davis
CSUN Opens Big West Season with Visit from UC Davis, Sacramento State
9/28/2016 8:45:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Matadors Start League Season Against Aggies, Hornets
GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT
En Español
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- The CSUN Matadors (3-4-1) begin their quest for the Big West Conference Championship this week with a pair of league matches at Matador Soccer Field. On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Matadors host the UC Davis Aggies at 7 p.m. and two days later, Saturday, Oct. 1, the Matadors christen the new month with a 7 p.m. contest with the Sacramento State Hornets. Both contests will feature live stats, live audio and a live video stream on the CSUN Sports Network with Eduard Cauich and Jose Avalos calling all the action. Fans are also encouraged to check with the CSUN Athletic Department's official Twitter accounts (@GoMatadors, @CSUNMensSoccer) for updates throughout the weekend.Â
Last week, the Matadors generated some momentum for the start of the league campaign with a 1-1 draw with San Diego and a 4-1 victory at CSU Bakersfield. Against the Toreros, Juan Fernando Samayoa converted from the penalty spot and Kevin Marquez made several big saves at the end of regulation to preserve the draw.Â
Three days later, CSUN struck for four goals in a victory against the Roadrunners. Gabe Robinson opened the scoring with a goal in the first half and Samayoa, Nicholas Grinde and Bar Shem Tov all found the back of the net in the win. Emmanuel Usen Jr., Jumoke Hutton and Samayoa all recorded assists and Marquez posted five saves.Â
This week, CSUN opens the league season with a visit from its Northern California rivals, UC Davis and Sacramento State. Both clubs enter the weekend with a winning record and have played several common opponents with the Matadors.Â
Next week, the Matadors close out their play against the Big West North Division with matches at Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara.Â
A Closer Look at UC Davis
The UC Davis Aggies enter Thursday's Big West Conference with a 4-3-2 overall record and are coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over Saint Mary's and a 1-0 loss to Utah Valley. The Aggies have also posted a 3-2 victory over CSU Bakersfield and a 0-0 draw with San Diego among common opponents with the Matadors.
On offense, the Aggies have produced nine goals in their nine games with Kristian Heptner leading the squad with three goals, six points and 23 shots on the season. Noah Wilson is second on the squad with two goals, five points and 15 shots while three other Aggies have found the back of the net on the season.
On defense, UCD leads the Big West with only eight goals conceded on the season. Armando Quezada has played the majority of minutes in goal on the season and sports a 0.89 goals-against-average, 24 saves and a .750 save percentage. The Aggies have totaled 122 fouls for an average of over 13 per contest and seen 27 yellow cards on the season.
Dwayne Shaffer is in his 20th season as the head coach of UC Davis and the Aggies hold an 8-6-4 record in the all-time series with the Matadors. In 2015, the teams drew in the regular season and the Aggies scored a 2-1 overtime victory in the opening round of the Big West Tournament. The Matadors have not won at home in the series since the 2012 season, when CSUN won the Big West Championship.Â
A Closer Look at Sacramento State
The Sacramento State Hornets enter the week with a 4-3-1 overall record and are coming off a 3-2 victory over Utah Valley and a 1-1 draw with Saint Mary's. Among other common opponents with the Matadors, the Hornets lost to CSU Bakersfield 3-0 and also fell 3-0 to San Diego.
Ivan Ramirez had two goals and an assist in the victory over Utah Valley and has four goals, four assists and 12 points on the season. Alex Bettencourt also has four goals on the season while Nate Nugen has two goals, two assists and six points. The Hornets have totaled 90 shots and 41 corner kicks on the season.
On defense, the Hornets have conceded 15 goals, 113 shots and 40 corner kicks on the season. James Del Curto has played the majority of minutes in net for Sacramento State and carries a 1.66 goals-against-average, 29 saves and a .707 save percentage in 650 minutes of action. The Hornets have committed 111 fouls on the season, an average of over 12 per game, and has seen 18 yellow and two red cards on the season.
Michael Linenberger is in his 28th season as the head coach of Sacramento State. CSUN leads the all-time series 12-6 and owns a 6-3 mark at home against the Hornets, but it has not won at Matador Soccer Field against Sacramento State since 2008.
