Matador Soccer Takes $4,000 Hit Next Season--If There Is a Next Season

There’s good news and bad news for the Cal State Northridge men’s soccer team as it enters what could be the final game of the program’s 20-year history Saturday.

The Matadors (6-11-1), who play host to Loyola in a nonconference game at 7 p.m., are 5-2-1 in their past eight matches and have improved their season from disastrous to merely poor.

But Thursday, Coach Marwan Ass’ad said his team will lose about $4,000 in scholarship funds if it exists next season.

The team, cut in June because of budgetary and gender-equity reasons and then reinstated for a year in August, received $33,000 in scholarship money this year, Ass’ad said. But the coach said he was recently notified of next year’s cut by Athletic Director Paul Bubb.

A task force on Northridge athletics is due to report its findings early next month and coaches and players are hoping for a speedy resolution to what has been a year of limbo.

Another concern for Ass’ad is that his contract expires Dec. 31.

“I would like to have my contract extended for six months, at least for my family’s medical benefits,” Assad said. “It would be a miracle if we have a team [in 1998] but I’m going to start recruiting, even though I can’t sign anyone.”

I’ll tell the kids I feel good about our program.”