For the last two years, Mustang Memorial Field has been a fortress for Cal Poly Men’s Soccer.
For 13 straight matches, the Mustangs made their home field one of the most difficult places for visiting teams to play. But after their program-record unbeaten stretch at home, in which the Mustangs conceded just six goals, the run is finally over.
Cal State Fullerton (5-4-4, 2-1-0 Big West) came into San Luis Obispo on Wednesday and shut down Cal Poly (4-4-4, 1-1-1 Big West) in a 2-0 evening affair to hand the Mustangs their first home loss since Oct. 15, 2023.
“That’s sport,” Head Coach Oige Kennedy said. “You set a record, and then you start over again.”
Wednesday’s match halted the Mustangs’ momentum on multiple fronts, as Cal Poly were also on a seven-match unbeaten streak entering the match.
Mirroring their mid-season success in 2024, the last time Cal Poly had lost a match this season was exactly one month prior against Denver. However, in Wednesday’s match Cal State Fullerton’s explosive offense came out too hot for Cal Poly to handle.
A tale of two halves
Cal State Fullerton, known for their offensive prowess and fast-paced play, lead the Big West in both goals-for and goals-against. On Wednesday, they put every aspect of their dangerous attack into play while also fielding a very solid defensive core.
With nine total first half shots and steady control of possession, the Titans set the pace to start the match. A thunderous first half, including a 20th minute goal from Big West shots leader Jose de la Torre, gave Cal State Fullerton a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the match.
Cal Poly made changes in the second half, including a platoon shift of substitutions to give the team a different look. The changes were effective, as the Mustangs forced four saves out of Fullerton goalkeeper Emanuel Padilla in the second half, but it was too little, too late.
“We were just trying to bring some intensity and just kind of calm the game down and see if we could keep the ball,” redshirt freshman defender Michael Vick said.
In his 45 minutes on the field, Vick added three of Cal Poly’s 11 total shots. He has started 10 out of 12 matches this season, playing a key role holding down the Mustang flank at left back.
The changes at halftime shifted the momentum of the match back in Cal Poly’s favor, but a counterattack from the Titans doubled the Fullerton lead midway through the second half.
Senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune had three saves on the night, but his efforts couldn’t fully neutralize Cal State Fullerton’s offense.
“We definitely were throwing punches at the end and trying to be proactive, but you can’t let people have a head start on you,” Kennedy said. “I think we did that in the first half, so we’ve got to learn from it.”
Cal Poly has made effort and intensity the centerpiece of their team culture since Kennedy’s arrival in San Luis Obispo. It’s a mentality that every player on the team has bought into, and one that led the squad to their first Big West Regular Season title last year.
Senior midfielder Bakuena Ramakatsa played the most minutes of any attacking player against Cal State Fullerton, and his high-pace playstyle embodies the team’s approach.
“When we work hard, everything else comes together on its own, so we just need to show our identity,” Ramakatsa said.
What’s next?
After the match, Cal State Fullerton slots in at third in the Big West, while Cal Poly falls to a joint fourth. The Mustangs are still just three points away from top-seeded UC Santa Barbara, who they face in a home rivalry matchup on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The Mustangs have a more pressing opponent ahead, as is the case for much of the season, with just a few days off before their next Big West matchup comes knocking on the door.
Cal Poly will stay at home to host Big West No. 6 UC San Diego, who’ve opened their conference season with three consecutive draws. The match is on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. and will be streaming on ESPN+
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Kennedy said. “We just got to get after it, work harder in training and just be, have a better attitude when we start the game the next time.”