CSUN on Road to Face UC Riverside, Utah Valley This Week

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- The CSUN men's soccer team (5-5-2, 1-1-1 Big West) hits the road this week for two matches. First, CSUN will play UC Riverside at UCR Soccer Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 14. at 7:00 p.m. Then, CSUN will return to Big West play with a showdown against Utah Valley, 6:30 p.m. at UCCU Center in Orem, Utah. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN's record of 5-5-2, 1-1-1 Big West places it tied fourth in the Big West. The Matadors have wins over Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State, Pacific, The Master's University and Oral Roberts University, while earning draws with Houston Christian and Cal State Bakersfield. The Matadors have four wins at home and one win on the road.

Wednesday's game against the Highlanders is the second game on the Matadors' schedule showcasing the new Pac-12-Big West partnership. In CSUN's first game with the Pac-12 earlier this season, CSUN won 3-0 against San Diego State at home on Oct. 3.

Saturday's contest against Utah Valley is the first showdown against the Wolverines since UVU joined the Big West this past season.

BACK TO BACK HONORS FOR PINEDA AND TANKOU
For the week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 4, senior Enrique Pineda had a stellar showcase of his talents. Pineda was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. The senior from Sylmar, Calif., tallied his first career brace in the win against San Diego State. He had two out of the three goals scored in CSUN's 3-0 victory. Pineda also tallied a goal in CSUN's 2-2 draw with CSU Bakersfield during the first Big West contest of the season on Sept. 30.

This past Monday, freshman midfielder Dave-Ryan Tankou took home Big West Rookie of the Week honors.

Tankou had back-to-back games where he was an impact player on the pitch. In Wednesday's 2-1 loss at UC Irvine, Tankou had an assist on the goal by the Matadors in the 77th minute. In Saturday's win against Fullerton, Tankou had a game-tying goal in the 11th minute that jumpstarted the CSUN offense in a game where the Matadors won 3-1.

IMPROVED SCORING IN 2026
CSUN had trouble finding the back of the net in 2025, netting only 11 goals throughout the entire season. With seven games left to play, CSUN has already flown past the 11 goals bar set last year, as the Matadors have 22 goals through the team's first 12 games. The Matadors are first in the Big West in goals scored.

A big reason why is newcomer forward Kayvon Monfared who is currently tied for second in the conference with four goals scored on the year. He had a brace in his home debut against The Master's University on Aug. 27. It was the first time a Matador had registered two goals in one match since Deryk Jones Jr. scored two at UCSB on Oct. 23, 2024. The senior from Anaheim Hills leads the team in points and shots as well.

Another Matador with four goals scored on the year is Pineda. 11 different Matadors have found the back of the net and six different Matadors have multiple goals so far this season.

SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE
The Highlanders enter Wednesday's game with a 3-6-3 record overall and 0-2-1 record in Pac-12 play. UCR only has one win at home so far this season, a 6-0 win against Life Pacific on Sept. 2.

UCR has scored 16 goals so far this season while allowing 19 on the defensive end. The Highlanders have a .505 shot on goal percentage. UCR has 46 saves, 59 corner kicks, and has yet to attempt a penalty kick. The leading scorers for the Highlanders are Tarek Hamideh and Wyatt Ponting. They both have three goals each.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 28-8-10 all-time against UCR. The Matadors are also 12-6-6 on the road. CSUN won the last matchup between the teams, 1-0 win on the road last season.

SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
This is a historic inaugural Big West matchup between the Wolverines and the Matadors on Saturday night. UVU enters this week's play with a hot start to its first Big West season. The Wolverines are 3-1 in Big West play and 7-1-2 overall.

The Wolverines are known for their defense. They have only allowed eight goals on the season, six goals fewer than any other Big West team. They are tied first in the Big West in shutouts with four.

Offensively, UVU is led by Jose Luis Martin Montealegre. He has four goals so far this campaign. Nil Grau is second on the squad in scoring with three goals in only eight games played.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 2-2-1 all-time against the Wolverines. The last time both these teams squared off was in 2021, where the Matadors lost 5-1 on the road.

CSUN on Road to Face UC Riverside, Utah Valley This Week

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Players Mentioned

Kayvon Monfared

Enrique Pineda

Dave-Ryan Tankou

California State University Northridge Athletics