In a non-conference mid-season matchup, Cal Poly Men’s Soccer built much-needed momentum against a dominant Utah Valley team that had lost only one game this season.
Cal Poly (5-4-5, 0-1-2 Pac-12) had gone winless in its last four outings, but it made the most of a Big West crossover match, taking down top-of-the-table Utah Valley (7-2-2, 3-1 Big West) in a commanding 3-1 win.
Utah Valley has become a formidable force in the Big West this season, currently sitting nine points atop the table. However, their self-proclaimed “Spanish Inquisition,” Nil Grau and Jose Montealegre, who have combined for 21 team points this season, saw no minutes against the Mustangs.
The loss of Grau and Montealegre for the Wolverines was notable against a strong Mustang defense. Led by sophomore defender Tanner Casey and junior Devin Rosas, UVU was held to just eight shots over the duration of the match, compared to Cal Poly’s 22.
Casey and Rosas both got the start as Head Coach Oige Kennedy rested some of his starters in this non-conference showdown. With fewer points on the line, it gave both teams a chance to try new lineups and give players with lots of minutes a break before they return to their conferences.
“It’s difficult in between conference games to have these crossover games,” Kennedy said. “It’s trying to find that balance between resting guys but also trying to be competitive and put a good product out. I think the guys did a good job of that tonight.
Another notable change for the Mustang defense was sophomore Dylan Glowaski earning his first career start in goal. He appeared once in the 2025 season in a Utah Tech blowout and came in for the second half in the 3-1 UCSB loss on Oct. 10.
Glowaski replaced Mathew Guerra, a redshirt freshman who had secured shutouts across the first 13 matches of the season. Against the Wolverines, Glowaski recorded 2 saves and made the initial stop on a late-game Utah Valley penalty kick that was converted on the follow-up.
“It goes back to trusting yourself, ” Glowaski said. “It was unlucky with the rebound, but at the end of the day, you have to know what he’s doing and just come up bigger than him.”
On the other end of the field, the Mustang offense fired on all cylinders, with captain Rylan Firouznam coming off the bench for the first time this season and playing a wider wing role than the familiar central midfield role he’s played most of the season.
The redshirt junior made an instant impact out wide, serving a ball into forward Finn Linas in the 26th minute; Linas knocked it off his head and past the Utah Valley keeper to give Cal Poly an early 1-0 lead.
Firouznam was not done yet, scoring his first goal of the season in the 70th minute after Keegan Rhodes was fouled inside the box. It was the first penalty kick of the season that was not taken by forward Colin Pearce, who leads Cal Poly in both goals and assists this season.
The Yorba Linda native stepped up to the spot looking composed and slotted it past the Wolverine goalkeeper, Kolby Sessions, to give Cal Poly a 2-0 lead before Utah Valley pulled one back on a penalty kick of their own five minutes later.
The Cal Poly offense remained a force, controlling most of the possession and putting up 22 shots against Utah Valley. That was a stark contrast to their 10.4 shots-per-game average, and it came from players across the pitch.
“We just came out firing, and we stuck to that for the whole match. The intensity was there for the full 90. Unfortunate that we gave up a penalty, but other than that our team was really intense the whole game,” Firouznam said.
Firouznam led the team with five shots, followed closely by Pearce and junior Charlie Hogan. Hogan came close several times before he put his last shot away in the 88th minute for Cal Poly’s third goal, off a ball into the box from Linas.
In Cal Poly’s last four games, they came away with two ties and two losses, but against the Wolverines, it looked like the Mustangs were turning the page to a new chapter as they enter the back half of Pac-12 conference play.
The Mustangs dominated on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they took a season-high number of shots, had more corners, and forced the UVU keeper to make twice as many saves. Defensively, while the lineup rotated, the dominance remained. Glowaski played with confidence and bet on himself multiple times in goal, and the team only allowed one shot in the first half, with eight total on the night.
“We came together as a team this week and really had a better mindset going into this game. We set out with a goal that nothing other than a win is acceptable, and that’s what we did,” Linas said.
While they still search for their first conference win, this Utah Valley game could give the Mustangs the momentum and confidence they need heading into the last three Pac-12 conference games. Cal Poly will try to build on the win as it takes on No. 22 Oregon State in a Pac-12 showdown.