8-5-5, 5-2-2
Cal State Bakersfield
3-11-3, 3-4-2
Mustangs Win Finale; Defend Big West Title in Three-Way Tie
11/1/2025 10:19:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Cal Poly Men's Soccer
Upcoming Fixtures
We’re very proud of the players and the staff tonight. The whole group has been laser focused on putting on a performance. It can be easy to become distracted by other games and results, but the guys locked in on supporting each other and competing as a group.- Oige Kennedy, Cal Poly Head Coach
BAKERSFIELD – First-half goals from junior Jackson Miller and sophomore Charlie Hogan helped the Cal Poly men’s soccer program defend the Big West regular season title during Saturday evening’s final round of matches as the Mustangs – with a 2-0 victory at Cal State Bakersfield – split the 2025 championship with UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara.
“We’re very proud of the players and the staff tonight,” third-year Cal Poly head coach Oige Kennedy said. “The whole group has been laser focused on putting on a performance. It can be easy to become distracted by other games and results, but the guys locked in on supporting each other and competing as a group.”
Senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune recorded four saves and his eighth shutout of 2025 for Cal Poly (8-5-5, 5-2-2), which – despite the three-way split – will be the No. 3 seed for the Nov. 5, 8 and 14 Big West Championship. The Mustangs, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara all finished on 17 points but, following results between the three programs during the regular season – as well as Big West goal differential then conference goals scored between Cal Poly and UCI – UC Santa Barbara grabbed top seed.
The Mustangs, who closed the regular season with three straight wins, will host sixth-seeded UC San Diego in the Wednesday, Nov. 5 Big West Championship opening round at 7 p.m. Cal State Fullerton, which fell in its regular season finale to UC San Diego, hosts UC Davis in Wednesday’s other opening round game.
With a result Wednesday, Cal Poly would advance to face No. UC 2 Irvine in the Saturday, Nov. 8 semifinals.
24' | GOOOOOOAL Mustangs! Jackson Miller with the penalty to send Cal Poly top of the Big West live table on the final day of the regular season.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/XuxDlw4Xfj
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) November 2, 2025
“To finish the season on the road and secure a part of the Big West co-championship is a huge achievement for our group,” Kennedy said. “With three teams all tied on 17 points it just shows how competitive our conference really is. Even with more wins than both UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine we end up just outside them on some very tight head-to-head categories.
“We’re always looking at how we can show progress and each year we’ve won more games than the previous season. That’s down to the players being committed to leaving the jersey in a better place than when they got here. Wednesday at home at Spanos is another opportunity for them to leave a little bit more legacy.”
Charging to a second successive Big West regular season title after capturing the program’s first in 2024, Cal Poly’s eight victories are its highest since winning 11 times in 2015.
During Saturday’s matchup, Mustang junior defender Joaquin Torres saw a second-minute attempt turned away by Roadrunners goalkeeper Zenden Hart before McCune chalked up his first save in the 11th.
43' | Charlie Hogan with his first career goal! Cal Poly leads Cal State Bakersfield, 2-0, in Saturday's regular season finale!#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/kkoCAotb7b
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) November 2, 2025
Cal Poly then earned its opportunity for the eventual game-winning goal in the 24th after Roadrunners midfielder Jesse Wangusi was whistled for a handball inside his own penalty area. Miller stepped to the spot and fired into the roof of Hart’s net to hand Cal Poly the 1-0 advantage.
Eleven minutes later, junior forward Jack Civitts was hauled down in the Roadrunners penalty box – a resulting red card that sent the hosts down to 10 men. Miller, however, saw his second penalty attempt of the night saved by Hart.
Two minutes from the break, however, Hogan – with his first collegiate goal – doubled Cal Poly’s lead after heading a corner from sophomore midfielder Rylan Firouznam past Hart. With his goal, Hogan became Cal Poly’s 14th different goalscorer of the season.
McCune then made saves in the 69th, 87th and 90th minutes for the shutout.
Team Stats
Jackson Miller (1)
CP Jackson Miller PENALTY KICK GOAL.
23:41
Charlie Hogan (1)
Assisted By: Rylan Firouznam
GOAL by CP Hogan, Charlie Assist by Firouznam, Rylan.
42:45
