Cal Poly men’s soccer secured their first Big West Conference win against CSU Northridge 1-0 on Sunday, Oct. 3 inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
The Mustangs (3-4-2, 1-0-1 Big West) won the head-to-head match with the Matadors (1-10-0, 0-2-0 Big West), but the game wasn’t a particularly stellar performance by Cal Poly.
“You know, sometimes soccer can be very beautiful and rhythmic, and other times it can be very ugly,” head coach Steve Sampson said. “But sometimes you have to play ugly to win. And at times tonight, we did both.”
Throughout the first period the CSUN offense was strong, totalling seven shots. Meanwhile, Cal Poly’s defense was continuously tested throughout the game, as they scrambled to make four saves.
However, the game’s momentum shifted in favor of Cal Poly when the Mustangs broke the deadlock at the 68th minute of the second half.
Freshman defender Jacob Glass ended the scoreless tie off an assist from senior midfielder Neil Boyal. The goal gave Cal Poly the 1-0 lead, a score that would remain for the entirety of the match.
The duo of Glass and Boyal has led the Mustangs offensively this year, with Glass leading the team with four goals and Boyal leading in assists with five.
“For some reason, I’m able to find [Glass] more times than not,” Boyal said. “So, we’re gonna keep it up.”
Despite Cal Poly coming out with the win, the Mustangs were outshot by the Matadores 10-6 and junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado was forced to make three more saves than the CSUN keeper.
“We have two days to recover and get straight back into it,” Glass said. “Now make sure we get our bodies right. We’ll eat well, sleep well, and get ready for the next one.”
The Mustangs will stay home to face UC San Diego as they continue conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.