The California State University Northridge (CSUN) men’s soccer team fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners in their first Big West Conference match of the 2026 season Wednesday night at Matador Soccer Field in Northridge, California.
CSUN fell behind early after conceding a penalty kick converted by Filip Arras in the 14th minute, following a foul by Dominick Wicks in the box. The Matadors responded in the 34th minute when Enrique Pineda scored a header off an assist from Miles Johnson, who was set up by Francisco Garibay. This leveled the score at 1-1.
Just before halftime, Cal State Bakersfield reclaimed the lead when Charlie Cazares scored from a free kick nearly 30 yards out in the 43rd minute, assisted by Arras. The teams went into halftime with Bakersfield up 2-1.
The second half was highly physical, marked by eight yellow cards and a total of 35 fouls between both teams. CSUN showed resilience, with Damien Baltierra scoring the equalizer in the 68th minute following a give-and-go with Kayvon Monfared. Baltierra finished from the right side of the penalty area, sparking the home crowd.
Goalkeeper Bryan Castaneda, starting his first match of the season, was pivotal for CSUN, making four saves including key stops during the final 15 minutes to preserve the tie. Twenty different Matadors saw action, with Daniel Garcia, Tito Oyewo and Messiah Antwi playing the full 90 minutes.
CSUN improved its overall record to 3-4-2, holding a 0-0-1 record in Big West play. Both Pineda and Baltierra scored their second goals of the season, with Baltierra leading the team in bench minutes at 46.
CSUN Head Coach Terry Davila on Team Resilience and Player Potential
Coach Terry Davila praised Baltierra’s talent and potential, noting, “If Damien gets fit, he can be one of the better players in this league. He’s a very talented player, and he can make more plays for us. He just needs to get a little bit more physically fit. With him coming off the bench, it can be a challenging role. If he can continue to make more plays for us, he really could end up being a special player.”
Regarding the team’s comeback efforts, Davila said, “You give up a penalty kick and you come back. Then you give them a set-piece goal, and you come back. It says a lot about your character, and it says a lot about what we’re trying to do. I’m very disappointed with the goals that we gave up, but I’m very happy with the way we came back. We haven’t played in 10 days, so we’re a little rusty. Hopefully, that got us back in the flow and got us back going for the next one.”
CSB Take
The Matadors demonstrated commendable resilience against a tough Big West opponent, overcoming early deficits to earn a draw in their conference opener. Damien Baltierra’s timely equalizer and Bryan Castaneda’s strong goalkeeping were crucial in the comeback effort. With confidence likely boosted from battling back twice, CSUN will aim to build momentum as they prepare to host San Diego State on October 3.
Source: Original report
