Backed by a cast of returning veterans and new additions to their roster, Cal Poly Men’s Soccer is seeking improvement from last year’s first round exit from the Big West Championship.
The Mustangs finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 5-8-4, but a record of 3-3-3 in conference play scored the program a trip to the first round of the Big West Championship against UC Davis.
Cal Poly’s defense, which had seen dramatic improvements from 2022, and four saves from goalkeeper Gabe Penner held the game close for 81 minutes, before a late winner from Aggie forward Chase Tannon ended the Mustangs’ season.
Following the 1-0 loss to UC Davis to end an up-and-down 2023 season, the majority of the Mustangs’ roster are returning to push for results in 2024.
Familiar Faces
Cal Poly retained nine of their outfield starters and 10 of their 11 goal scorers from this past season going into year two of head coach Oige Kennedy’s tenure.
Standouts from these players are senior forward Jackson Kestler and junior forward Luke Schaefer, who led the team with four goals each.
A young core of All-Big West Freshman team talents is also returning with sophomore midfielders Rylan Firouznam, who scored three goals on just seven shots last season, and Diego Guerra.
Junior forwards Sean McTague and Oren Stuppel, with two goals apiece in 2023, round out a formidable attack force from this past season.
Coming off of a year with four shutouts and led by senior Captain Nate Colley, the Mustangs’ defense has also kept key pieces from last year, including sophomore Parker Owens.
Goalkeeper is a position that will see changes in 2024, with junior Nicky McCune being the only keeper out of four on the roster to have played collegiate minutes.
Newcomers looking to make a difference
The Mustangs also added new talent in 2024, with incoming freshmen Cole Aman, Michael Vick and Colin Pearce bolstering both the defense and the existing attacking front.
“Cole is a player we’ve watched for a long time,” Kennedy told GoPoly.com. “He has a great engine and covers every blade of grass on the field. He’ll add a top level of quality to our roster.”
Aman was the 2023 Portland Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year and played for the MLS Next Pro team Portland Timbers2 as a part of the Portland Timbers Academy.
He will strengthen the right side of the Mustangs lineup, playing both right back and right wing.
Pearce will shore up gaps in the Mustangs attack going into this season and Vick, coming off of a 14-0-1 season at Los Gatos High School, adds depth to the defensive core.
“They have the right mindset, they’re committed to be the best versions of themselves and are exactly the types of characters that we need in our program,” Kennedy said in a GoPoly.com release.
How the Mustangs continue to make improvements
Cal Poly’s record has made improvements during Kennedy’s tenure as head coach, stemming from a defensive rebuild that saw 25 less opponent goals in 2023 compared to the 2022 season.
The average goals per game was nearly even in 2023, with the Mustangs scoring 1.29 goals per game, and opponents netting 1.35. In 2022, Cal Poly only scored an average of one goal per game and let in nearly three from the opposition.
Kennedy has a history of shaping dominant defenses.
During his time as an assistant coach at Stanford, the Cardinal had a 14-match postseason shutout streak that lasted from 2015-18 and helped lift the team to three consecutive national championships.
The defensive difference was reflected by the Mustangs’ overall record, with a jump from 2-11-4 in 2022 to 5-8-4 in 2023.
The Mustangs are still looking to make the next step towards overall winning soccer, building on last year’s improved campaign.
With 18 matches scheduled in 2024, one more than the previous year, increased depth on all sides of the field will be an important factor in keeping the momentum throughout the year.
Early season tune-ups
The Mustangs started the season off with two exhibition matches, taking down University of the Pacific 5-1 before falling to No. 5 Stanford 2-0.
Familiar and new names graced both scoresheets, with Schaefer returning in scoring fashion early in the match against the Tigers, with freshman Finn Linas scoring two goals.
Sophomore defender Joaquin Torres and freshman midfielder Quinn Mahoney rounded out the scoring on against Pacific, with the Mustangs’ attack showing their strength.
All four goalkeepers saw minutes in both matches, with McCune recording three saves across both matches.
Their regular season begins with a non-conference match at the University of San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
