The CSUN men’s soccer team continued their winning streak after they hosted and defeated the Biola Eagles 2-0 in a non-conference matchup at Matador Soccer Field on Saturday night.
The Matadors (2-0-1) began a two-game home stretch after being on the road in Oklahoma, salvaging a draw against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes and victory over the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.
Defensively, the Matadors haven’t allowed a goal in over 270 minutes due to impressive outings by goalkeeper Dorian Drucks. Drucks’s accolades awarded him Big West Defensive Player Honors of the Week the week prior.
Drucks tallied three consecutive clean sheets for the Matadors, adding nine saves against the Eagles (0-1-0) in a back-and-forth game which had players fighting for possession. The nine saves is a new career-high for the junior keeper, breaking his last record of seven saves against the Golden Hurricanes.
After the win, head coach Terry Davila spoke highly of his keeper’s performance.
“It speaks for itself,” Davila said. “I don’t have to say anything more… Actions speak louder, and his actions are speaking very loud.”
Biola, led by head coach Joey O’Keefe, tactically came out pressing and disrupting the flow of the Matadors in the midfield by defending the counterattack and not allowing creative threat in the final third.
Midfielders’ Zack Harris and Jorge Solorzano ignited sparks of possession which created opportunities that led the Matadors forward.
Harris, who had the winning goal from a free kick in the Matadors’ visit to Oral Roberts University, came off the bench in the first half to help control the pace of the game for the home side.
The Matadors broke away with a goal by forward Enrique Pineda, which was his first of the season, to give the Matadors the lead 16 minutes into the first half. Biola continued pressing and creating spaces, troubling the CSUN defense, playing at a fast-paced tempo and missing one-on-one opportunities to score in front of goal.
CSUN was granted a penalty late in the first half after a foul inside the box. Solorzano, who carries the captain armband for the Matadors, took the ball from the spot and chipped the keeper through the middle to give CSUN a two-goal lead.
Solorzano, who celebrated his goal in front of the home crowd on the day of his birthday, expressed what it meant for him.
“It gives me a lot of confidence and a huge motivation. I’m my biggest critic. Wearing the armband, I’m very proud of something I worked for … I always want CSUN to be on top,” he said.
Solorzano added that despite struggles, the Matadors are driven and difficult to beat when they are in sync. “As a team, we have a good mindset, always trying to improve, tactically and individually,” Solorzano said.
After the victory, Davila spoke about what is expected for the team moving forward.
“We have to refocus,” he said. “Seattle is a huge match. We’ll enjoy this game and enjoy our last two victories and get ready for Seattle.”
CSUN will host the Seattle Redhawks on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. at Matador Soccer Field as they hope to continue their undefeated streak for the 2025 season. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
