CSUN Travels to UC Irvine, Hosts Cal State Fullerton This Week

GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. ---The CSUN men's soccer team (4-4-2, 0-0-1 Big West) continues Big West play with two contests this week. First, CSUN will travel to UC Irvine for a matchup against the defending Big West Champion Anteaters, 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday Night at Anteater Stadium. Then, the Matadors return home for a rival contest against Cal State Fullerton, 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night at Matador Soccer Field. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN's record of 4-4-2, (0-0-1 Big West) places it sixth in the Big West. The Matadors have wins over San Diego State, Pacific, The Master's University and Oral Roberts University, while earning a draw with Houston Christian and Cal State Bakersfield. The Matadors have three wins at home and one win on the road.

Wednesday's game against the Anteaters is the first game on the road since Sept. 13 where CSUN defeated Pacific by a score of 3-1 in Stockton. CSUN went 1-2-1 in this past four game homestand, the longest homestand of the season.

LAST TIME OUT
CSUN shut out the San Diego State Aztecs by a score of 3-0, Saturday night at Matador Soccer Field. Enrique Pineda tallied his first career brace in the win while Kayvon Monfared netted his fourth goal of the season in the second half. CSUN held SDSU to just three shots on goal in the entire match.

WHAT A WEEK FOR MR. PINEDA
Forward Enrique Pineda was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week for his performance as announced by the league office on Monday. Pineda, the senior from Sylmar, Calif., tallied his first career brace in the win against San Diego State this past weekend. He had two out of the three goals scored in CSUN's 3-0 victory.

His first goal came in the fifth minute, as he capitalized on a turnover to put the Matadors ahead. Pineda took advantage of a San Diego State defense that wasn't set. He stole the ball and scored from midfield on a long-distance strike as he caught the Aztecs' goalkeeper off guard. The unassisted goal gave CSUN an early advantage and set the tone for the evening.

Pineda put the match out of reach in the 73rd minute, completing his brace with a well-placed header. Dave-Ryan Tankou sent a cross in from the right side, finding Pineda in the middle of the attacking area. Pineda directed the ball into the net as he capped the scoring and gave CSUN a three-goal cushion.

Pineda also tallied a goal in CSUN's 2-2 draw with CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday night.

IMPROVED SCORING IN 2026
CSUN had trouble finding the back of the net in 2025, netting only 11 goals throughout the entire season. With nine games left to play, CSUN has already flown past the 11 goals bar set last year, as the Matadors have 18 goals through the team's first 10 games. The Matadors are tied first in the Big West in goals scored.

A big reason why is newcomer forward Kayvon Monfared, who is currently tied for sixth 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, after his three goal performance this past week.

SCOUTING UC IRVINE
UCI enters Wednesday's match at 5-5-1 overall and 1-1 in Big West play. The Anteaters opened conference play with a 2-0 loss at Utah Valley on Sept. 30, but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 3.

UCI claimed the Big West regular season and tournament championship in 2025 under the tutelage of CSUN alum Yossi Raz.

UCI advanced to the NCAA Tournament for an eighth time in program history which ultimately ended in the first round at Denver.

UCI's best scorer this season is Gage Lyons. He is tied for the league lead in goals with five through the first 11 games played. Marcus Lee and Brady Treinen are both tied fourth in the league in assists with three each.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 28-25-6 all-time against UC Irvine. The Matadors' last win came in 2023 where CSUN won 1-0 on the road. The last three contests finished with a 1-0 score, UCI has won two of them.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Cal State Fullerton Titans are coached by George Kuntz, who is in his 12th season at the helm. Fullerton entered Big West play after going 4-3-3 through its first 10 matches, including a strong stretch to close nonconference play. The Titans beat San Jose State, UC San Diego, San Diego State and UC Riverside in a row before Big West play started last week.

Fullerton dropped its opening Big West contest on Saturday, falling 3-1 against UC Irvine on the road.

Fernando Valenzuela is the clear offensive centerpiece. The senior midfielder leads Fullerton with: five goals, two assists, 12 points, 34 shots, 14 shots on goal and two game-winning goals

CSUF has taken 155 shots with 54 shots on goal through its first 11 games.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 26-20-8 all-time against the Titans. The last win for CSUN came in 2022, where the Matadors won 1-0 on the road.

CSUN Travels to UC Irvine, Hosts Cal State Fullerton This Week

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Players Mentioned

Kayvon Monfared

Enrique Pineda

Dave-Ryan Tankou

California State University Northridge Athletics