With CSUN barely missing the postseason last year, the team was eager to get this season off to a good start against two ranked opponents: No. 18 James Madison University and No. 11 Loyola Marymount University. The Matadors drew against the Dukes (0-0) in their season opener and defeated LMU (2-1) on the road the following week.
The takeaway of the two matches has been the physical defense of the Matadors, only allowing one goal on 17 shots with seven saves by Merrick Cook. The second-year goalkeeper has been absolutely crucial to the team’s early success, even winning Big West Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performances. He was especially great against LMU, with four saves on 10 shots faced.
Head Coach Terry Davila praised his goalkeeper after his performance in the season opener.
“Merrick made a big save, and Finn [Werner] saving it off the line was a big play of the game. You know that was the play of the game, and they could have won it there,” he said.
However, it’s not just Cook’s individual performances that have contributed to the defensive excellence but the back line and scheme put together by the coaching staff.
“Shoutout to my defense, it’s not only me who’s making saves but them who’s constantly keeping them away from the eighteen,” Cook said following their shutout against James Madison.
Cook added that everyone has really bought into the coaches’ new system of playing out of the back and quickly turning defense into offensive opportunities, which can be seen in the team’s 23 shots over the first two games.
This new style has given more opportunities for defenders like Deryk Jones Jr. and Marley Edwards to play more aggressively on the offensive end. Jones Jr. scored one of the two goals in the LMU match off of an assist by Edwards in the opening 15 minutes and also assisted on the game winning goal by Arturo Reveles in the final 5 minutes.
The Matadors have been especially excellent at defending corner kicks so far this year, with zero goals being scored on 18 attempts, and only a few of those attempts have resulted in shots by the opposition.
Another key to their impressive early play has been their physical yet disciplined play style. While they haven’t shied away from their fair share of fouls (20), their defenders and midfielders have been great at drawing fouls on their opponents, resulting in red cards for both James Madison and LMU during their respective matches.
While they have been great at shaking their opponents off their game, the Matadors haven’t made the most out of the opposition’s mistakes.
“You know we went up a man and our offensive quality went down, and this time in the season that’s the thing that comes last, and we needed it tonight but we weren’t sharp enough to get it,” said Davila after the first game.
The coaching staff is optimistic of their chances in league play this year, stating that it all starts with personnel fit, sharpening their skills, and most importantly, their collective mentality moving forward.
CSUN has opened their schedule with two extremely positive games against great competition, and without another ranked opponent on their schedule, hopefully the hardest teams are in the rearview.
