The Titans have not lost in the month of November and have beaten two teams they failed to beat in the regular season. They hope to do the same against the San Diego Toreros, who they played to a scoreless tie in the second game of the regular season. Winnie Huang / Daily Titan File Photo
The Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer team will begin their first NCAA Tournament run in 14 years when they take the pitch Thursday night against the University of San Diego at Torero Stadium.
Fullerton will be coming in on a hot streak, having not lost a match in the month of November.
During the Titans’ run in the Big West Conference Tournament, they defeated UC Riverside and UC Irvine, two teams they could not defeat in the regular season. They will be looking for a similar result in their rematch against the Toreros.
Head Coach George Kuntz’s group took on USD in their second game of the season, playing to a 0-0 tie after a scoreless regulation and pair of overtimes.
In the match, San Diego outshot the Titans 14-8 and held an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal, yet couldn’t break through against Titan goalkeeper Jeff Salt.
Fullerton played a man down for the final 40 minutes of the game after Mark Vasquez received a red card in the second half. Despite the disadvantage, the Titans remained poised and avoided losing in a tough road environment.
The match was scrappy throughout, as CSUF committed 19 fouls compared to 16 by the Toreros. A total of 10 yellow cards were handed out during the game.
Salt will look to continue his stellar play in the NCAA Tournament after posting shutouts in his last two matches between the pipes.
In the Big West Conference Tournament championship match against UC Irvine, Salt shut down the powerful Anteaters offense in regulation and overtime before saving three of their five shootout attempts to give CSUF the victory.
On offense, the Titans feature a balanced attack that includes four players who have scored at least four goals. Senior Marc Fenelus has been the unquestioned leader on offense, recording seven goals and two assists during the season.
Unlike the Titans, USD did not have to play in a conference tournament to earn a bid, as their regular season credentials were strong enough to make the Big Dance.
The Toreros had won six consecutive games before closing out their regular season with a loss to the Loyola Marymount Lions. San Diego won the West Coast Conference with a 6-1-0 conference record, three points better than second place Saint Mary’s.
San Diego is led on the offensive end by Connor Brandt and Torrey DeArmas, who have each netted seven scores on the season. Their balanced offense has been a difference-maker in several of the games, outshooting their opponents 253-175 during the season.
USD is also strong on the defensive end, where redshirt freshman Thomas Olsen has saved 39 shots while only allowing 15 in his 18 games.
The match Thursday will likely be another defensive struggle, as the two talented goalkeepers will battle with the second round of the NCAA Tournament within their sights.
The winner of the game will go on to face the No. 2 UCLA Bruins Sunday.