CSUN Closes Exhibition Play Against UCLA Saturday

Saturday, August 17

Northridge, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

UCLA

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

CSUN Closes Exhibition Play Against UCLA Saturday

8/16/2024 11:56:00 AM | Men's Soccer

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Soccer closes exhibition play on Saturday night by hosting UCLA at Matador Soccer Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and all fans receive free admission for the match.

CSUN UNBEATEN IN EXHIBITION PLAY
The Matadors opened the exhibition season with a 6-1 victory over The Master's on Aug. 9 at Matador Soccer Field. Six different Matadors hit the net in the match as CSUN led after 90 minutes 4-1 before adding two more tallies in an extra third period. This past Tuesday, the Matadors picked up a road win at San Diego by a 2-1 score in another 120-minute match.

REGULAR SEASON STARTS AUG. 22
CSUN will officially kick off the 2024 regular season at home against James Madision on Thursday, Aug 22 at 7:30 p.m. The Matadors will face a James Madison team that was ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 as the Dukes are coming off a NCAA Round of 16 appearance last season. The first week of the season will conclude with a road test at No. 11 LMU, a NCAA Quarterfinalist in 2023.

TEAM OUTLOOK
CSUN has 15 letterwinners and four returning redshirts this season with 13 newcomers added to the roster.

Sophomore forward Jorge Solorzano is the team's top returning goal scorer with five when he was named 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year. Fellow sophomore Zack Harris netted two goals last year while senior Marley Edwards and junior Arturo Reveles and Enrique Pineda combined for five goals in their CSUN careers. The quartet of Solorzano, Harris, Edwards and senior Zion Wagoner are the only returning Matadors to play in each match last season. Sophomore Robert Kaemmerer started the most among the returning crop with 16 starts in the midfield.

In goal, Merrick Cook returns after posting 18 saves and a 0.81 goals-against-average over seven matches as a freshman in 2023.

The team's remaining returners are seniors Matthieu Mayindu, Matthieu Fiadjoe, Odin Rosten and Theom Samba and sophomores JT Danks, Sebastian Fuentes and Michael Blevins while returning redshirts include junior Tobias Brücher, sophomore Carlo Kettig and freshmen Jack Sherlock and Ryan Chu.

CSUN's 13 newcomers consist of eight transfers and five freshmen. Three junior college All-Americans are among the new group, which include forward David Garcia (Blinn College) and defenders Jake Shaked (Tyler Junior College) and Siddiq Lezzar (LSU Eunice). Defender Deryk Jones, Jr. (Portland) and goalkeeper Dorian Drucks (California Baptist) are the team's two Division I transfers. Rounding out the transfers are midfielders Eyifehn Forfor (Iowa Western CC) and Finn Werner (West Florida) and goalkeeper Jose Mendiola (Los Angeles Mission College).

The Matadors' five true freshmen added to the team include Ian Boras (Oaks Christian School), Demitrious Tanks (Los Alamitos High School), Boniface Fatohou (Westminster School in Conn.), Emanuele Susi (Union Fossaesia Calcio in Italy) and Samahj Oyewo (Hart High School).

A LOOK AT UCLA
The Bruins were ranked No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. UCLA went 9-4-5 overall last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. An All-Pac-12 selection, forward Andre Ochoa is the team's top returning goal scorer with four to go with seven assists last season while second-team all-conference honoree Jose Contell had three goals and six assists in 2023.

Series History: UCLA leads CSUN 19-3-4 in the all-time series. The teams most recently played last season in Westwood with CSUN battling to a 1-1 tie. Solorzano hit the equalizer in the match via a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Prior to that match, the Bruins had won two consecutive matches. CSUN's last win in the series was a 2-1 victory on the road in 2018.

#GoMatadors