CSUN Wins Soccer Conference : Cubillos Scores Only Goals in 2-0 Defeat of Chapman

There was some doubt that Frank Cubillos was the best man to start at center forward on the Cal State Northridge soccer team for its remaining three conference games.

The Matadors were stumbling as end of the season drew near, and Coach Marawan Ass’ad figured he would change the offense. The plans didn’t include Cubillos.

“It hurt me when I found out I wasn’t going to start,” Cubillos said.

Cubillos kept his composure, however, and got his starting job back.

He isn’t hurting anymore.

The Matadors claimed their second straight conference championship with a 2-0 victory Saturday over Chapman College in front of more than 2,700 at Northridge.

The Matadors, ranked fifth in the nation and first in the Far West region, are headed for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

They can thank Frank. He scored both goals.

Chapman’s so-called No-Goal Patrol defense might as well give their nickname to their offense. CSUN goalie Phil Heaver was perfect--again.

“We wanted it more,” Ass’ad said. “I know a lot of coaches always say that the team that wants it more, will win. Well, that’s true. We wanted it more than they did.”

They also needed it. A loss or a tie would have forced CSUN to wait for next year to get into the playoffs. And there were high expectations. The team has drawn a large following in the Valley. Game attendance averaged more than 1,000 this season. Saturday fans yelled, “Now we want the national championship.”

“You can’t beat playing at home,” said Cubillos, who scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season. “You can’t beat this crowd.”

But you can beat Chapman as the Matadors proved. And it wasn’t all offense.

CSUN’s first goal came with 30:00 remaining in the first half. Until intermission, the Matadors’ defense stifled Chapman, 7-2-1, which looked nothing like it did in its 1-0 win over CSUN earlier this season.

“We beat ourselves against Chapman,” Cubillos said. “We knew all along that they were beatable.”

Northridge’s second goal came after the break, and again Chapman was left looking dazed and confused.

“We knew what we wanted,” Ass’ad said. “And we went out and got it. We talked about immediate pressure when we lost the ball. Tonight, we had that pressure.”

That kind of pressure can make your goalie lonely. More than three fourths of the game was played in front of the Runnin’ Panthers’ goal.

“This was a whole different game than we had been playing,” team captain Mike McAndrew said. “We were able to maintain our composure and still play with that intensity that we had been lacking earlier. When we can do both, we’re hard to beat.

“I’d have to rank this as one our best games all year because we put in such a clutch performance.”

It certainly was, even with a better overall record. CSUN wouldn’t have been invited to the playoffs had they lost. California Collegiate Athletic Assn. rules state that if a first-place team isn’t invited to the playoffs, a second-place team may not accept an invitation.

CSUN, 8-2, 15-3 overall, will play Brigham Young at Northridge on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.