CSUN
Big West Seeding Race Tightens as Cal Poly Hosts CSUN for Senior Day
10/24/2025 3:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Looking to climb the Big West table with two matches remaining, the Cal Poly men’s soccer program hosts CSUN Saturday, Oct. 26 in its regular season home finale. Kickoff for the senior day matchup is 3 p.m. for Cal Poly (6-5-5, 3-2-2), which moved into a fourth-place tie in the Big West standings on 11 points alongside Cal State Bakersfield following a 1-0 victory at UC Riverside (Oct. 22) – a decision fueled with a 52nd-minute, free-kick goal from junior midfielder Joaquin Torres. Trailing leader Cal State Fullerton (16 points), UC Santa Barbara (15) and UC Irvine (13) in the Big West standings, Cal Poly closes the regular season at Cal State Bakersfield Saturday, Nov. 1. The top six programs qualify for the Nov. 5, 8 and 14 Big West Championship. CSUN (6-5-5, 1-4-2), meanwhile, sits eighth in the table on five points. After taking four points from their initial three Big West matches, CSUN has earned just one point in the past four outings.
CAL POLY VERSUS CSUN: Unbeaten in five straight against CSUN – Cal Poly’s lengthiest stretch against any big West opponent – the Mustangs forced a 1-1 draw in Northridge last fall. Despite Cal Poly winning three of the last five matchups dating to 2019, CSUN leads the Division I series, 18-13-9.
TOTAL FOOTBALL: After scoring 19 times in 19 matches last fall, Cal Poly has found the back of the opposition net 25 times already to rank 40th among 210 NCAA Division I programs. Thirteen different Mustangs have scored through the initial 16 games with senior midfielder Bakuena Ramakatsa, junior forward Jack Civitts, sophomore forward Finn Linas and freshman defender Tanner Casey producing their first goals as Mustangs. With freshman defender Michael Vick ranked second in the Big West and 54th among NCAA Division I players with five assists and Civitts on four assists, 10 separate Mustangs have registered at least one assist this year.
FINAL | A 52nd-minute free-kick strike from Joaquin Torres sent Cal Poly past UC Riverside Wednesday, 1-0. The Mustangs next host CSUN for their final regular season home matchup on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.#RideHigh https://t.co/8fI09n9wAo
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 23, 2025
DEFENSE IN FOCUS: Allowing six goals during the opening four matches, Cal Poly has conceded just eight times in the last 12 games. Six of the program’s seven shutouts this fall have occurred since a home draw against No. 20 San Francisco (Sept. 11). Two of the 14 total goals allowed have been penalties.
MUSTANG GOLDEN BOOT RACE TAKES SHAPE: Enjoying his first two-goal game as a Mustang during Cal Poly’s 8-0 home victory against Utah Tech (Sept. 18), sophomore forward Quinn Mahoney has already matched his four-goal haul from last fall. Freshman defender Tanner Casey, who scored three times in his initial four appearances, added a fourth goal during Cal Poly’s 4-0 home win against UC San Diego (Oct. 11) as the duo rank fourth among Big West scorers. Mahoney – the reigning Big West Freshman of the Year honoree – leads Cal Poly with 26 shot attempts and ranks sixth in the Big West with 10 points. Casey, helping Cal Poly achieve seven shutouts at one end of the pitch, is eighth with nine points.
SEAN MCGOAL: Missing the entirety of the 2024 season through injury, junior forward Sean McTague – a 2022 Big West All-Freshman Team selection – has returned this year with goals to fuel wins against Utah Tech (Sept. 18), at San Diego State (Sept. 21) and the 86th-minute, game-winner versus UC Davis (Oct. 1).
Congratulations to defender Michael Vick, ranked No. 72 on Top Draw Soccer's list of the top 100 freshmen in the nation!#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/OBOxDQED1e
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 23, 2025
MCCUNE IN FRAME: Without just two goals allowed in his previous 360 minutes and only 12 conceded from open play in 1,428 minutes this season, senior Nicky McCune – the Sept. 9 Big West Defensive Player of the Week honoree – ranks first among Big West goalkeepers in total minutes, second with six solo shutouts and a .759 save percentage and third with a 0.88 goals against average. McCune has twice recorded a season best five saves at California Baptist (Aug. 30) and Air Force (Sept. 5). A starter in 36 of 39 collegiate outings, McCune ranks second in program history with a 0.91 career goals against average, fourth with 14 career shutouts and fifth with a .769 save percentage.
MCCUNE, OWENS NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST: For the first time in Cal Poly history, multiple Mustangs were named to a Hermann Trophy Watch List as senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune and junior defender Parker Owens earned Aug. 21 candidacy for collegiate national player of the year recognition. Among the 29 standouts named, Cal Poly joined Cornell as the only programs – among more than 200 Division I squads – with two candidates. A total of 15 players will be named 2025 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Dec. 9 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-America voting. From that list, three players will be voted as finalists with the 2025 recipient announced Jan. 9, 2026, at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
ETC.: Cal Poly’s 8-0 home victory against Utah Tech (Sept. 18) established new Division I program records for total goals, margin of victory and individual assists (seven) … junior forward Jack Civitts was named Sept. 22 Big West Offensive Player of the Week after scoring against Utah Tech and producing Cal Poly’s first three-assist game in 17 seasons … Cal Poly saw a program record 13-match home unbeaten run at Mustang Memorial Field snapped with a 2-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 8) … the 9,543-fan attendance figure for Cal Poly’s Oct. 18 home matchup versus Blue-Green rivalry UC Santa Barbara marked the second largest figure in the nation this season.
