The CSUN men’s soccer team closed out their final home game on Saturday against Cal Poly. Before the match, CSUN honored eight seniors: Marley Edwards, Rosten, Zion Wagoner, Theom Samba, Matthieu Fiadjoe, Matthieu Mayindu, Carlo Kettig, and Tobias Brücher.
The Matadors (2-8-6, 0-5-3) came out the gate with early chances, earning three corner kicks within ten minutes. Senior forward Marley Edwards scored in the 12th minute with a penalty after a foul from Cal Poly goalkeeper Nicky McCune.
“We are a team that is responding to adversity and trying to grow because we got punched a lot,” said CSUN head coach Terry Davila. “If we didn’t have bad luck, we probably wouldn’t have any luck. We didn’t play hard enough throughout the year.”
Joaquin Torres of the Mustangs (6-4-7, 3-1-4) would score the equalizer in the 59th minute after a CSUN foul led to a free kick, curling a precise shot top left corner to level the game.
Davila highlighted that this season and the next are when the program is in a shifting period. He also gladly mentioned that CSUN has won the Big West before.
“To be a great team, you need that grit off the ball. If you think heart and athleticism aren’t important, you won’t get far,” said Davila. “That’s what our program is learning. We’ll grow from this and reinvent ourselves over the next couple of years, getting back to where we were.”
Davila and Cal Poly head coach Oige Kennedy constantly disputed late challenges and strong tackles.
CSUN sophomore Zach Harris and senior Finn Werner earned their yellow cards after late tackles. Kennedy persistently told off the fourth official after claiming the referees weren’t protecting his players.
A foul against Edwards in the 12th minute caused a major uproar from both sides. After much deliberation from VAR, CSUN was awarded the penalty, which he coolly slotted into the net.
Edwards matched the team’s season-high in goals with three, tying with sophomore Michael Blevins.
“Being Senior Night, it felt really special to score a goal in front of my family. Tonight was all about being physical,” said Edwards. “Overall, it was a solid performance from everyone, and I’m happy with how I played individually too.”
As the second half began, Blevins charged on through to continue the pressure from the first 45. Even after two solid chances, one of which he was offside and the other deflected for a corner, it signified to the rest of the team not to let up.
But a few minutes later, the Matador’s lead was gone after a 59th-minute stunner from a freekick.
Mustang’s Charlie Hogan had a late opportunity, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Conversely, Edwards also came close to scoring again in the 78th minute, but McCune denied him with another impressive stop.
Edwards mentioned that his final season in the CSUN red and black has come to a close, and he wants the younger players to continue the spirit of being a Matador.
“I’d say just keep the same mentality,” said Edwards. “I hope the younger guys continue that, stay physical, dominate against other teams and push hard. Honestly, the sky’s the limit for this group.”
The Matadors hope to end the season on a high note, looking for a win to cap off a challenging campaign. Their 2024 season concludes away on Saturday Nov. 2 against the Titans of Cal State Fullerton.
