CSUN Begins 48th Season on Road Against UNLV

Thursday, August 20

Las Vegas, Nev

8:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

UNLV

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

CSUN Begins 48th Season on Road Against UNLV

8/19/2026 1:26:00 PM | Men's Soccer

GAME NOTES
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- CSUN men's soccer opens its 48th season Wednesday with a matchup against the UNLV Rebels at 8 p.m. at Peter Johann Memorial Field in Las Vegas. The match will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network.

A LOOK BACK AT 2025
CSUN went 6-6-6 in 2025, including an impressive start to non-conference play as the Matadors went 5-1-3 to begin the season.

CSUN earned wins over Oral Roberts, Biola, Pacific, LMU and UNLV during the non-conference portion of its schedule.

Six different Matadors appeared in all 18 games during the 2025 season, with Enrique Pineda and Daniel Garcia returning to the team in 2026.

The Matadors were a defensive powerhouse in 2025. CSUN ranked 11th in the nation in goals-against average at 0.72 and led The Big West in goals allowed with just 13. The Matadors also ranked fourth in the conference with 82 saves. CSUN did not allow a goal in each of its first five games of the season.

The Matadors finished 1-5-3 in conference play and placed ninth in the final Big West standings.
CSUN tallied 11 goals during the 2025 season and converted on all three of its penalty-kick attempts.

TEAM OUTLOOK
The Matadors enter the 2026 season under head coach Terry Davila, who is set to begin his 28th season at the helm of the program. CSUN returns 18 letterwinners from a season ago and has added 13 newcomers, including 10 transfers and three incoming freshmen.

CSUN returns its top two offensive players from a season ago in Enrique Pineda and Jorge Solorzano. The duo combined for five goals and 10 points in 2025, as both players enter their senior seasons.

The Matadors are also coming off their best defensive season in terms of goals allowed in the Division I history of the program. CSUN surrendered just 13 goals and recorded eight shutouts behind goalkeeper Dorian Drucks, who returns for his senior season in 2026.

Drucks etched his name into the CSUN record book in 2025, tying for second in program history for most shutouts in a single season with eight. He also earned two Big West Player of the Week honors during the season, receiving the award on Aug. 25 and Sept. 22.

Other key returners include Michael Blevins, Sebastian Fuentes, Justin Sosa, Ian Boras, Hagan Cupido and Daniel Garcia. Cupido and Fuentes each appeared in 17 of CSUN's 18 games in 2025, while Garcia was named to the All-Big West Freshman Team.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF OUR SENIORS
Dorian Drucks | Goalkeeper
Drucks returns following a stellar 2025 campaign in which he etched his name into the CSUN record books. He tied for second in program history for most shutouts in a single season with eight.

Sebastian Fuentes | Forward
Fuentes returns for his fourth season with the Matadors. He appeared in 17 games during the 2025 season.

Justin Sosa | Midfielder
Sosa returns to CSUN after playing and starting in all but one match during the 2025 season. He led the Matadors with 31 shot attempts.

Michael Blevins | Midfielder
Blevins is one of the Matadors' longest-tenured players and enters his fourth season with the program. He has appeared in 41 career games and scored four goals during the 2024 season.

Jorge Solorzano | Midfielder
Solorzano enters his senior season with an impressive list of accolades. He was named to the 2024 All-Big West Second Team and was selected as the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.

Enrique Pineda | Forward
Pineda was an offensive bright spot for CSUN in 2025, leading the team with three goals. He appeared in all 18 games and ranked third on the team with 25 shot attempts. He has logged 1,576 career minutes for the Matadors.

Hagan Cupido | Forward
Cupido joined the Matadors as a transfer in 2025 and appeared in 17 games during his first season with CSUN. He logged a season-high 59 minutes in a 1-0 victory over LMU on Sept. 18, 2025.

Bryan Castaneda | Goalkeeper
Castaneda served as the backup to Drucks during the 2025 season and will be ready to step in when called upon. He appeared in one match, making his lone start in a 0-0 draw at San Jose State on Sept. 11, 2025. Castaneda recorded four saves while facing 15 shots and earned a shutout in his only appearance of the season.

UTILIZING THE TRANSFER PORTAL
The 2026 edition of CSUN men's soccer features 10 transfers joining the Matadors.

Jack Cameron | Midfielder
Cameron hails from Phoenix, Ariz., where he previously played at Phoenix College. He brings dedication, talent and a competitive edge to the Matadors after tallying 10 points during his time with the Bears.

Ronaldo Mena | Forward
Mena joins CSUN from Bogotá, Colombia, after spending his previous collegiate seasons at Otero College. He scored 10 goals in 18 games during the 2025 season for the Rattlers.

Bladimir Coto | Defender
A local product from Canoga Park, Calif., Coto is a 6-foot defender who played his freshman season at Santa Monica College. He recorded 20 points during his first collegiate season.

Isaac Homer | Defender
Homer is a junior defender from Portland, Ore. He played his first two collegiate seasons at Portland. After injuries limited his time with the Pilots, Homer looks to begin a new chapter with the Matadors.

Damien Baltierra | Midfielder
Baltierra is another California native, hailing from Coachella, Calif. He spent his first two collegiate seasons at College of the Desert, where he started 18 games and scored six goals during the 2025 season.

Kayvon Monfared | Midfielder
Monfared joins the Matadors from Anaheim, Calif., and Saint Mary's, where he was teammates with fellow Matador Justin Sosa. He appeared in 16 games and made one start, totaling 484 minutes of action. He also scored one goal.

Abdullah Traore | Defender
Traore is an international addition from Trondheim, Norway, who previously played at the University of Memphis. He started eight of the nine matches in which he appeared last season.

Dominik Wicks | Defender
Wicks is a junior defender from Oceanside, Calif., who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Mira Costa College. He scored 15 goals during his two seasons with the Spartans.

Mika Ney | Midfielder
Ney brings the most Big West experience among CSUN's incoming transfers. The junior from Germany played the 2025 season with UC Santa Barbara, the Big West regular-season champion.

SCOUTING THE UNLV REBELS
UNLV finished the 2025 season with a 4-6-6 overall record and went 1-2-4 in WAC play. The 2026 season marks UNLV's first competing in the Mountain West Conference.

The Rebels earned wins over LMU, CSU Bakersfield, UC Irvine and Air Force in 2025. UNLV scored 16 goals across 16 games while averaging 7.6 shots per contest.

UNLV was undefeated through its first four league matches, marking the program's first such start since 2014. The Scarlet and Gray backline, along with junior goalkeeper Hugo Lemos, recorded its second conference shutout during that stretch.

Defensively, the Rebels allowed 24 goals during the 2025 season, an average of 1.5 goals per game.
Tyler Ware, Jonah Craig, Andres Robles and Lemos started and appeared in all 16 games for UNLV last season.

UNLV enters the 2026 season with 13 newcomers on its roster. The group includes eight players from the United States and five international players, including four student-athletes who joined the program in January.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 13-9 all-time against UNLV. The two teams met at Matador Soccer Field during the 2025 season with the Matadors earning a 1-0 victory. CSUN has won four of the last five meetings between the programs.