MERCED 026 026 026 026 026 026 026 – The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros men’s soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to the University of California, Merced Bobcats in their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) league opener on September 18, 2026.
The match remained scoreless until the 30th minute. UC Merced took the lead at 32:25, but Cal State Dominguez Hills responded quickly when Juan Calderon converted a penalty kick in the 35th minute to tie the game. Calderon’s goal marked his third of the season.
Early in the second half, UC Merced regained the advantage with a goal at 49:17. Despite outshooting the Bobcats 10-8 overall and holding a 9-4 edge in corner kicks, the Toros were unable to score again. They launched five shots after falling behind but could not break through the Merced defense.
With the loss, Cal State Dominguez Hills fell to 2-3-2 overall and 0-1 in CCAA play. The Toros will look to even their conference record Sunday when they travel to Stanislaus State for a 2 p.m. kickoff on September 20, 2026.
CSB Take
Cal State Dominguez Hills showed resilience by quickly responding to UC Merced’s early goal and controlled significant portions of the offensive play. However, the inability to convert scoring chances after falling behind exposed areas for improvement. The Toros must sharpen their finishing and maintain consistent pressure to secure their first CCAA win in upcoming matches.
Source: Original report
