A last-second goal snapped Cal Poly Men’s Soccer’s two-match winning streak as the Mustangs fell 1-0 to UC Irvine on Wednesday night.
A rainy night in Irvine, Calif., left the Mustangs (6-5-5, 1-1-2 Pac-12) stunned as the Anteaters (9-5-2, 3-1-1 Big West) snuck a ball past sophomore goalkeeper Ben Oetman in his first career start for Cal Poly. UC Irvine exposed the Mustang defense with a ball played through the backline, leaving Oetman for a one-on-one, a battle he lost as time was expiring.
Oetman is now the third goalkeeper to earn his first career start under Head Coach Oige Kennedy this season, following redshirt freshman Mathew Guerra and sophomore Dylan Glowaski. He made three saves in his debut.
Oetman was one of 10 changes to the starting lineup in their outstanding win over No. 22 Oregon State just four days earlier. Only junior captain Charlie Hogan started both matches, playing 60 minutes in the loss.
Beyond Oetman, the team swapped out the entire backline for transfers and young talent. Junior transfer Devin Rosas and sophomore transfer Michael Baumgaertel held down the center-back positions, while true freshman Peyton Marmion and sophomore Michael Vick started at outside back.
The rest of the Mustang lineup followed suit, with coaches switching players out and giving new players extended minutes. Several key players were sat, including Cal Poly’s leading goalscorer Finn Linas, Pac-12 assist co-leader Colin Pearce, captain Rylan Firouznam, and 2025 All-Big West Second Team honoree Quinn Mahoney.
Firouznam was the only player from this group to appear tonight, coming off the bench for 33 minutes and not taking a shot.
With the offensive powerhouses absent, the defense led the charge against UCI, with Vick putting up a team-high three shots, followed by Baumgaertel and junior Mariodavid Vega with two each. However, the Mustangs couldn’t convert, putting only two of eight total shots on frame.
While this was not the same dominant team that upset Oregon State in Pac-12 Conference play, the Big West crossover matchups have presented an interesting opportunity for teams to give different players additional playing time that they may not have otherwise seen this late in the season due to conference play.
Additionally, players like midfielder Cole Aman, who currently leads the team in minutes with 1253, can recover and rest during these crossover showdowns. Because it is so late in the season and no conference points are up for grabs, many teams, including Cal Poly, choose to rest starters who already have a lot of minutes on their legs this season.
With many of their key players resting tonight, Cal Poly will attempt to keep their foot on the gas and end their first season of Pac-12 conference play on a high note as they enter their final two games. They will travel to Spokane, Wash., to finish their road matches before returning home for their last regular-season game at Mustang Memorial Field.
The Mustangs still have everything to play for as they enter their final week of Pac-12 play, facing the two teams at the bottom of the conference table. With a postseason spot within reach, Cal Poly will first face Gonzaga, winless in conference play, on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.