Dominguez Gives CSUN 2-1 Loss--and Change

The Cal State Northridge soccer team knows it has a problem. Coach Marwan Ass’ad believes he has a solution.

After dropping a 2-1 decision Wednesday to Cal State Dominguez Hills, Ass’ad is ready to realign an offense that had given the Matadors a 12-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking before the game.

“Changes are going to be made,” Ass’ad said. “A lot of players have had their chance to prove themselves and we were waiting for other players to improve. But that’s over. We’re making changes.”

Enter Dean Freeman, a former prep scoring ace and former CSUN fullback.

“We’re moving Dean to center forward,” Ass’ad said. “Dean has played forward before and he knows the position well.”

Freeman was the Southern Section Player of the Year at Simi Valley High last season. The freshman, who played fullback Wednesday, scored CSUN’s only goal against Dominguez Hills.

Exit Frank Cubillos, former starting forward.

Said Ass’ad: “We can’t place the blame on one guy. I was hoping Frankie would come through, but he hasn’t. We have to go with the best player, and right now we’re going with Freeman.”

That may solve one problem, but after losing its second conference game, CSUN will need more solutions if the Matadors are to live up to their NCAA Final Four aspirations. Ass’ad and company have until 6 p.m. Sunday to find a remedy. The Matadors play Cal State Bakersfield at home.

While they wait, the Matadors will have plenty of time to think about Dominguez Hills, a team Mike McAndrew would rather forget. He usually feeds the ball to Tronson, who usually puts the ball in the net. Against Dominguez Hills, the Matadors wasted plenty of scoring opportunities, just as they did in a 1-0 loss to Chapman College, their first in the CCAA.

“We didn’t have this many chances Saturday when we beat Pomona, 4-0,” McAndrew said. “I’m baffled. We play in front of their goal for 90 minutes and we lose. We shouldn’t have given up those two goals. We had so many chances.”

Tronson, Steve Demaine and Thor Lee all missed scoring opportunities in the second half. Midfielder Steve Lazarus did not play because of illness, but the Matadors’ defense still performed well. It was the two first-half goals by Dominguez Hills that changed the pace of the game, forcing CSUN to the offensive early.

“It’s tough to come back when the other team goes into the locker room at the half with a 2-0 lead,” said Mark Grody, a reserve goalie, as he watched the loss unfold from the CSUN bench. “It changes the whole game around.”