Cal State Northridge defeated Cal State Fullerton 3–1 in men’s soccer at Matador Soccer Field on Oct. 10. CSUN conceded the opening goal before answering with three of its own. The victory was the Matadors’ first Big West win of the season.
How the game unfolded
Jose de la Torre scored for Fullerton in the 10th minute before Dave-Ryan Tankou quickly equalized. The teams remained level at halftime. Kayvon Monfared put CSUN ahead in the 81st minute, and Francisco Garibay added another goal in the 87th.
Monfared also assisted on Garibay’s finish after scoring his team-leading fifth goal of the season. CSUN outshot Fullerton 22–9 and held an 8–3 edge in shots on goal. The result moved the Matadors to 5–5–2 overall and 1–1–1 in conference play.
CSB Take
CSUN kept creating chances after the early setback and eventually found the two finishes that settled the match. Fullerton stayed level for most of the night, but the late defensive sequence decided the outcome. The Matadors can take useful evidence from their response while reviewing how to avoid conceding the first chance.
