After second-place conference finishes in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015, Cal Poly Men’s Soccer’s 1-0 victory against Cal State Bakersfield secured their first-ever Big West regular season title on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Mustang Memorial Field.
The Mustangs (7-4-7, 4-1-4 Big West) came into the match tied for third in the conference, racing a second-place Roadrunner (7-5-4, 4-3-2 Big West) team that Cal Poly has not lost to in any matchup since 2010.
By halftime, results around the conference—UC Riverside defeating first-place UC Santa Barbara 2-0 and UC Irvine drawing UC San Diego—meant that either team winning the match would also mean winning the conference.
In a must-win game, a late-night winner from junior forward Conner Lisenbee pushed the Mustangs above the Roadrunners and the rest of the Big West for the first time since joining the conference in 2001.
“We won the Big West as a team, I mean, it means everything,” Lisenbee said. “Now we just want to keep it going to the national tournament.”
With the win, Cal Poly jumped to 16 points in the conference, beating out rivals UC Santa Barbara (10-4-4, 4-2-3 Big West) by just a single point to win the regular season.
Lisenbee’s winner in the 87th minute was assisted by freshman midfielder Quinn Mahoney, who has been a centerpiece to the Cal Poly attack this year, leading the team in goals and assists in 2024.
Cal Poly played 18 different players throughout the game, with a mix of young talent and veteran experience working together to push the Mustangs through the finish line.
“All the young guys have stepped up. I mean, starting the season, our four starting forwards were all injured, out for the season,” Lisenbee said, “We’re filling the roles that need to be filled, and it’s worked out in our favor.”
Saturday was also Cal Poly’s senior night, and Lisenbee was celebrated as one of six veteran Mustangs leaving the team this season.
Another veteran, senior midfielder and captain Nate Colley, who has been with Cal Poly since 2020, has seen the team fight back from being at the bottom of the Big West conference just two years ago to winning the regular season title.
“It’s a culmination of all the hard work we’ve done,” Colley said. “You know, this group, throughout the winter, throughout the spring, these guys have stayed dedicated. To see that come to life on the field and kind of come full circle now, is really rewarding.”
Head coach Oige Kennedy’s new but already successful leadership has led the team’s short turnaround.
In just two years with the team, Kennedy has led the Mustangs to new heights and helped the team become one of the top defenses in the nation.
Junior goalkeeper Nicky McCune has led the back line, and with two key saves on the evening, he secured his Big West-leading eighth clean sheet of the year, a number tied for second in the nation.
He’s been instrumental to their success, but Kennedy still gives all the credit to the players.
“I’m just so proud of the guys and all their hard work, because it takes a lot of commitment to get the program where it’s gotten to in such a short period of time,” Kennedy said. “They’re the ones that lead it, we can only guide them.”
First place gives Cal Poly a first-round bye in the conference tournament and home-field advantage for all Big West games.
Cal Poly hosts one of these semifinal matchups on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. against the winner between No. 4 seed UC Davis or No. 5 seed Cal State Bakersfield at Mustang Memorial Field.
UC Santa Barbara will face either No. 3 seed UC Irvine or No. 6 seed Cal State Fullerton in Santa Barbara for the other semifinal.
If the Mustangs win the semi-final, they will also host the Big West Championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, against the other semi-final victor.
“Going into the next few games, it’s just not wanting that college journey to end,” Colley said. “This is great, but we now have to go perform in the Big West tournament.”
