CSUN
Cal Poly Draws with CSUN, Remains in First Place in Big West
10/26/2025 7:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — True freshman Izzy Matteson buried her first career goal with just over 12 minutes left to help the Cal Poly women’s soccer team earn a 1-1 draw against CSUN on Sunday to remain in first place in the Big West standings.
The Mustangs (8-2-9, 6-2-2 Big West) are now 2 points in front of CSUN and UC Santa Barbara, who are tied for second place in the conference table with 18 points. However, Cal Poly played its final regular season match on Sunday, while the Matadors, UCSB and the other eight teams in the Big West still have one match to play on Thursday, meaning CSUN and the Gauchos can still finish in front of the Mustangs.
Due to Sunday’s results, Cal Poly can finish no lower than third in the Big West regular season standings as they own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Cal State Fullerton, who is sitting in fourth place with 17 points. With wins in their final regular season matches on Thursday, the Matadors and Gauchos could both jump in front of the Mustangs in the conference table, while draws or losses by either team would allow Cal Poly to finish atop the standings and claim the No. 1 seed and Big West regular season title.
Entering Sunday’s match, Cal Poly controlled its own destiny as a victory would have secured the conference regular season title for the Mustangs and guaranteed them the right to host the semifinals and championship match in the Big West tournament. Unfortunately, Cal Poly was unable to take advantage of their 65 percent possession advantage in the match.
“We’re definitely disappointed, I think we all are,” head coach Bernardo Silva said after the match. “We created enough chances to score goals, but our quality inside the 18-yard box, in front of the goal just wasn’t enough good enough.”
The Matadors (7-7-4, 5-1-3 BW) struck just over five minutes into the match when a cross played into the box was headed into the back of the net by Paige Califf.
After the two teams both registered five shots in the first half, Cal Poly recorded a decisive 7-0 shot advantage in the second half. The Mustangs’ dominance in the final 45 minutes finally paid off in the 78th minute when Matteson leveled the match. Senior Brennan Cole sent a free kick from just inside midfield into the box that was deflected a few times before graduate student Madelyn Dougherty headed a ball toward Matteson right in front of goal, who stabbed the ball with her right foot into the back of the net.
Matteson’s goal was the only shot Cal Poly steered on goal during the entire match. CSUN only had two shots on goal in the entire match.
Cole registered her first assist of the season on the tally and the seventh of her collegiate career, while Dougherty recorded her eighth assist of the season, the most in the Big West. The assist also allowed her to move into a tie with teammate Jessie Halladay for the conference lead in points with 18.
With Sunday’s draw, Cal Poly finished the regular season unbeaten at home (3-0-6) for just the fifth time in program history and the first time in 21 years.
Halladay had a game-high four shots, and Cole, senior Sophia Minnite, junior Annika Smith and redshirt sophomore Siena Urzua played all 90 minutes in the match.
“There’s lots to look forward to as we get ready for postseason,” Silva said, “and we were going to have to hit a reset button regardless of if we had won today or not, so we’ll do that Monday and Tuesday and get back on track here to fight for the postseason title.”
The Mustangs will learn who they will face in their first match in the conference tournament following the final day of regular season play Thursday.
