Ass’ad Puts CSUN Soccer Team on Map

For some coaches, building a championship team takes about as long as it does for Michael Jackson to respond to all of his fan mail.

But for Cal State Northridge soccer Coach Marwan Ass’ad, it has taken just two years to catapult the Matadors to their first California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship.

Basking in the sun at North Campus Stadium Field after a superb 18-3-2 finish last year, the Matadors held media day Thursday. But Ass’ad has not let a conference championship and second-round appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs go to his head.

“If we don’t go further than we did last year,” Ass’ad said, “as far as accomplishment is concerned, we’ll be underachievers.”

Since his move from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1983, Ass’ad has compiled a 30-7-7 record, including a 5-1 mark against Division I schools in 1984. He turned the Matadors’ program around in 1983, leading them to a 12-4-5 record after a dismal 2-8-12 showing the previous season.

Said Ass’ad: “Our goal is the national championship game and we have the talent to get there.”

Ass’ad expectations might not be far fetched. All of his players are returning this season, except for Jose Perez, the school’s all-time leading scorer. Also returning is CCAA Most Valuable Player John Tronson and team captain Mike McAndrew. Tronson, a 6-4, 204-pound junior forward who looks more like a tight end than a soccer player, scored 20 goals and had 10 assists last season.

McAndrew, a midfielder, set a CSUN season record with 11 assists in 1984. Beside Tronson up front is Frank Cubillos, a 6-1, 180-pound junior who had eight goals and five assists. He was fourth in team scoring last season.

Ass’ad said he has recruited three players for the coming season from Simi Valley: Dean Freeman, a fullback who was Southern Section 4-A Offensive Player of the Year; Andy Torres, a first-team Southern Section 4-A selection; forward Chris Gnekow, and Rich Wilcox, a fullback who redshirted last season. Wilcox was Simi Valley’s leading scorer for three years.

He noted that he might limit his potential for a national championship by not scouting top high school talent nationwide, but he thinks that fans would rather see home-grown talent.

“Professional teams failed because they didn’t represent their areas,” said Ass’ad. “That is why I wanted to recruit from the Valley. The people will identify with the players, they’ve known them for years and they like it.

“The nucleus of this year’s team as well as last year’s team grew up in the Valley,” he added. “People recognize these names. Last year, not only were we an entertaining squad, but we were the Valley’s team.”

Ass’ad’s claim that the Matadors were the “Valley’s team” is valid. Of the 25 players on the Matadors’ 1985 roster, only three did not play high school soccer in the area.

At the top of the defensive team, however, is Glendale College transfer Phil Heaver. The All-American is almost a shoo-in to start at goalkeeper. His competition for the job: incumbent Gary Wolfe, who had four shutouts and a 1.2 goal-against average last season, San Francisco State transfer Mark Grody and Oxnard College transfer Mike Caputo.

Ass’ad thinks his goalkeepers are could be the difference in the strength of his team this year.

“This year I know we’re going to be two to four times better than last year,” said Ass’ad. “We’re getting outstanding goalkeepers.”