CSUB soccer teams prepare for season with exhibitions
Aug. 15—The leaves haven't changed yet, it's over 100 degrees out and the equinox is still a month away, but in the sports world, fall has arrived. Cal State Bakersfield has kicked off the season with a series of men's and women's soccer exhibitions.
The men are hoping for a return trip to the conference playoffs after an admirable showing in there inaugural Big West season. The women are looking to step it up after a challenging, particularly low-scoring 2021 campaign. Here's how they fared in their return to the field.
Men's soccer: Not all lower-division teams are created equal, and in hosting Cal State LA, the Roadrunners scheduled the best one possible. The Golden Eagles won the Division II national championship last season and retain their No. 1 ranking entering 2022, even without last year's coach and several key graduates. CSUB lost 1-0 on Thursday, managing just three shots on target against keepers Alvaro Unanua and Julian Adalandsvik. Alex Rodriguez put home the go-ahead goal for Cal State LA against new goalie Filippo Dadone shortly after halftime. The Roadrunners gave substantial playing time to several newcomers, including sophomore transfers Bilal Mihoubi (80 minutes) and Ian Reis (90).
CSUB put up a better fight against Pac-12 foes Cal on Sunday, hosting a game that was originally supposed to be played at a neutral site, but ended with the same result after the Bears seized on a key turnover in the midfield to set up substitute Jake Himelstein for the 78th-minute winner. This time Dadone played a scoreless half and it was freshman Damian Alguera dinged with the late goal, as the Roadrunners seek to sort out a crowded group of goalkeepers that includes returnees Sucre Herrera and Scott Pengelly. Mihoubi was again among the most active Roadrunners, playing the whole game and leading CSUB with two shots.
Women's soccer: The Master's University, an NAIA foe, made the short trip up from Santa Clarita to take on CSUB. The Roadrunners gave little indication that they were playing with about half newcomers, and locked down the Mustangs in a 3-0 victory Wednesday. Returnees Nicola Lebakos and Karen Flores had a goal each (Flores led the team with five shots, all on target, but had a penalty saved) and freshman midfielder Amani Felipe added one as a substitute. It might be tempting to draw conclusions about the Roadrunners' revitalized offense from this performance, but last year's CSUB team also beat The Master's last preseason (in that case, 2-0) and then struggled to score all year.
Based on the second exhibition game, however, it seems clear at least that Flores will be the centerpiece of CSUB's attack. The striker, who represented Ecuador at the Copa América Femenina this summer, again posted five shots on target and led the Roadrunners with eight overall. She eventually scored the winner off a corner kick in the 68th minute as CSUB beat Division II Azusa Pacific 1-0. The Roadrunners had to withstand seven corners from the Cougars, including five in a six-minute span late in the first half, and emerged with a 2-0 preseason record.
Flores was voted onto the preseason All-Big West team, which was released Monday. The same coaches who picked Flores, however, selected CSUB to finish last in the league, which would be a drop from last year's ninth-place result. The men's soccer preseason poll has not yet been released.
The women's team will get an early start to its regular season slate against UNLV in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday, while the men have one more exhibition against Loyola Marymount Friday.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
