CSUN Travels to UCSB Before Hosting Cal Poly on Senior Night

GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Soccer will play a pair of teams atop the Big West standings this week as the team heads down the final stretch of the regular season. The Matadors travel to UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday evening before returning to Matador Soccer Field on Senior Night this Saturday against Cal Poly. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

Prior to Saturday's home finale, the Matadors will honor their six-member senior class in a pre-game ceremony.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN (2-7-5, 0-4-2 Big West) enters play this week with three matches remaining in the regular season. The Matadors sit at two points through six conference contests and would need to win out to have a shot at qualifying for the six-team Big West Championship. Currently, the trio of UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield are tied at 11 points with 3-1-2 records while the trio of UC San Diego, Sacramento State and UC Irvine have nine points with identical 3-3-0 records. Cal State Fullerton sits at eight points (2-2-2) followed by UC Riverside at seven points (1-1-4) and UC Davis at five points (1-3-2).

SENIOR SALUTE
CSUN will honor the six-member senior class of Marley Edwards, Zion Wagoner, Odin Rosten, Matthieu Fiadjoe, Matthieu Mayindu and Theom Samba prior to their final match at Matador Soccer Field on Saturday. A Fresno Pacific transfer, Edwards has spent the past three seasons at forward where he has played in 51 total matches and made 41 starts, accumulating three goals, three assists and nine points. Wagoner, who previously played at Salt Lake CC and Memphis, has made 30 appearances over the last two seasons as he has two goals, two assists and six points with CSUN, highlighted by five points as a senior. A former Junior College Player of the Year at Oxnard, Rosten has played in 23 matches at forward with CSUN and totaled eight shots. After beginning his collegiate career at Arizona Western College and Catawa College, Fiadjoe has played in 26 matches with the Matadors, making four starts at defense. Mayindu, a Dodge City CC transfer, has played three seasons with CSUN at defense, appearing in 26 matches with 11 starts. Samba rounds out the senior class as he has appeared in 17 matches over two seasons with CSUN after beginning his career at Garden City CC.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN dropped two matches in last week's Big West action. Sacramento State handed CSUN a 5-0 defeat last Wednesday in the State Capitol, behind four first-half goals. The Hornets outshot the Matadors by a silm 15-13 margin in the match, but the Matadors managed just one shot on goal compared to nine for Sacramento State.

The Matadors concluded the week with a 1-0 loss to UC Irvine as an eighth-minute goal proved to be the difference. CSUN finished with a 13-12 edge in shots including a 10-5 margin in the second half, but the Matadors could not find the equalizer. Sophomore Dorian Drucks made his first career start in goal for CSUN.

MATADOR LEADERS
A pair of Matador sophomores in Jorge Solorzano and Michael Blevins top the team with three goals and seven points apiece this season, The tandem also ranks 16th in the Big West in goals on the season. CSUN's trio of Marley Edwards, Zion Wagoner and Deryk Jones, Jr. have also scored multiple times this season, scoring two apiece while the quartet of Arturo Reveles, Zack Harris, Edwards and Jones have two assists each. On defense, Jake Shaked has played in all but 11 minutes in his first season with the Matadors. In goal, Merrick Cook has started in 13 of 14 matches on the year, totaling the seventh-most saves in the Big West with 40 to go with two shutouts.

WE PLAY CLOSE GAMES HERE
In what has been a consistent trend all season, CSUN has played in an array of one-goal decisions throughout 2024. Overall, the Matadors are 2-6 in one-goal matches, dropping its last four decisions. In addition to the eight one-goal decisions, the Matadors have earned five draws, two of which scoreless ties. Going back to last season, 19 of CSUN's last 20 games have finished as a draw or by a one-goal outcome.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
The Gauchos received a vote in this week's United Soccer Coaches top-25 poll. The team comes in with a 9-3-3 overall record and 3-1-2 Big West record as UCSB holds on to a share of the top spot in the conference standings. At home on the year, UCSB holds an undefeated 5-0-2 record. Prior to the year, UCSB was picked to finish third in the league standings. As a team, UCSB ranks second in the Big West in goals (28) and points (91) as well as second in fewest goals allowed (13) and goals-against-average (0.87). Alexis Ledoux tops the Big West in goals scored at 12 and in points at 27 while Nicolas Willumsen has four goals and 10 points. In goal, David Mitzner is second in the Big West in GAA (0.87) to go with six shutouts.

Series History: The Gauchos lead 26-17-7 over the Matadors in the all-time series. The teams played to a 2-2 tie last season at Matador Soccer Field behind a two-goal game from Zack Harris. CSUN looks to snap a five-match skid in matches played at UC Santa Barbara as the Matadors' last win at Harder Stadium took place in 2013 (3-2 win).

SCOUTING CAL POLY
Cal Poly enters the week at 6-4-5 overall with a 3-1-2 Big West record. Currently tied for the top spot in the Big West, Cal Poly hosts UC Irvine on Wednesday before heading to CSUN over the weekend. While the Mustangs hold an undefeated home record (4-0-1), Cal Poly comes in with a 2-4-4 mark away from Spanos Stadium. Prior to the year, Cal Poly was slotted to finish fifth in the Big West. The Mustangs are first in the league in fewest goals allowed (10) and goals-against-average (0.67). In goal, Nicky McCune is also the Big West leader in GAA at 0.61 while posting seven shutouts. Quinn Mahoney tops Cal Poly in points with 10 to go with three goals followed by Diego Guerra at seven points and three goals.

Series History: CSUN leads Cal Poly 31-20-11 in the all-time series, but the Matadors are winless over their last four meetings. Last season in San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly came out on top 2-0. CSUN's last win in the series was 1-0 home win in 2018.

#GoMatadors

CSUN Travels to UCSB Before Hosting Cal Poly on Senior Night

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Players Mentioned

Michael Blevins

Merrick Cook

Dorian Drucks

Marley Edwards

Matthieu Fiadjoe

Zack Harris

Deryk Jones, Jr.

Matthieu Mayindu

Arturo Reveles

Odin Rosten

Theom Samba

Jake Shaked

Jorge Solorzano

Zion Wagoner