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CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

soccer

Fall Term Sees New Faces on Campus

September 6, 2023 By Philip Bader

Students walk on the CSUDH campus during the first week of the fall 2023 term.

In past years, New Student Convocation at CSUDH marked the formal start of the academic year. First-time and returning students joined faculty, staff, family, and friends to celebrate an exciting journey of personal and educational discovery. Energy, passion, and not a little swagger featured prominently in the festivities.

This important tradition was reluctantly cancelled this year after heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Hilary saturated the Activities Field on campus and made it unsuitable for the celebration. President Thomas A. Parham says that despite the cancellation, the underlying message of the event is something he wants all Toros to take to heart not just as the fall term begins but throughout the academic year.

Frankie Williams
Frankie Williams

“Convocation has always been an essential academic ritual for me. It’s a moment when we all come together and commit to a set of values and principles that guide this educational institution,” says Parham.

“More than this, convocation is a time when I assure our students that I see them and that they belong here at CSUDH. Some may feel excited about being admitted but might not be convinced that they really belong. I want them to know that they do, and that we’re ready to support them with everything from basic needs and mental health services to financial aid and individualized academic advising in our new Student Success Centers.”

Above all, says Parham, students need to have confidence in themselves and know that it is a sign of strength to ask for help when they need it. “Everybody is capable of succeeding. I believe that, and I need our students to believe that. If you find yourself struggling, remember that your time at CSUDH is not an individual effort but an exercise in collective survival. We are all in this together.”

The community of scholars beginning their academic journey this fall at CSUDH reflect a wide range of backgrounds and experience. Some have overcome steep barriers to the pursuit of their dreams. Others have faced physical and emotional challenges. All have worked hard to be here.

Diego Barahona
Diego Barahona

At 16, Frankie Williams is likely one of the youngest members of the incoming class. She graduated from Students on the Academic Rise High School in Lancaster with an associate’s degree from Antelope Valley College and begins at CSUDH as a Presidential Scholar.

Williams was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, crutches, and a leg brace to aid mobility. “It can be difficult navigating life with a disability,” she says. “People always look at you differently.”

Williams hasn’t let that hold her back. She plans to study art and might eventually pursue a career as an educator like her parents. “Right now, I’m just excited to see where college will take me. It’s kind of nerve-wracking because I’m adjusting to it at the same time as I’m adjusting to adult life and learning to do things for myself.”

Since about the age of five, Diego Barahona wanted to be a professional soccer player. He grew up in the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw area and attended Cathedral High School. “College was never really a part of my future plans,” Barahona says. 

Destiny Ramirez
Destiny Ramirez

After graduation, Barahona spent two years training with Major League Soccer teams, first with the LAFC and then with the Las Vegas Lightning. He worked out alongside international stars Gareth Bale and Deni­s Bouanga. “I was a little star-struck by Bale, but he gave me some great advice,” says Barahona. “He told me to keep my head down and work hard, and that nothing ever comes easy.”

At age 20, Barahona decided to give college soccer a chance. “I texted Coach Pat and Coach Eddie to let them know I was interested in CSUDH. I saw what they were trying to build last season, and I wanted to be a part of it,” he says, adding that his decision to major in communications might help him down the road with media sessions.

Destiny Ramirez says she chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work at CSUDH because of her own experience in the foster care system. “I spent about a year in the system. My teen years were hard. I had a social worker who helped me at a time when there was nobody else to do that,” she says. “I’ve seen the impact that social workers can have, and that has inspired me.”

Ramirez was raised in Montebello and earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from CSU Los Angeles. She hopes to work as a school counselor. “I’ve seen the impact that social workers can have in the lives of students, and that has inspired me to want to help others the way I got help when I needed it.”

Lorelei Fuller
Lorelei Fuller

Also a member of this term’s incoming Presidential Scholars, Lorelei Fuller says she’s always put her education above everything else. She graduated McBride High School in Long Beach as valedictorian and chose CSUDH over several other larger schools.

“I’ve been interested since high school in the inequalities of our society, and I want to find ways to serve communities of color, which so frequently get underserved by our justice system,” says Fuller. She chose CSUDH in part because of its commitment to diversity and social justice, and she hopes to continue her studies in law school after graduation.

Fuller admits to feeling a little anxious about college but says she’s ready for the challenge. “I think it’s time for me to do big things. I love being on campus. It just feels like the next four years are going to be very good.”

Being present and active on campus is something that Parham strongly encourages. “I don’t want our students to have drive-by interactions where they go to class, get a sandwich at the student union, and then drive home. I want them engaged in different internships and research projects. That’s all part of a robust college experience.”

Like Fuller, Parham sees good things ahead for CSUDH. “This is an exciting time in the Toro Nation. I am proud and honored that they have selected California State University, Dominguez Hills as the place that can nurture their dreams and aspirations.”

Toro Women’s Soccer Looks for Turnaround

August 30, 2023 By Nick Bulum

Toro women's soccer players
Toros (L-R) Kylie Yuzon, Alicia Covarrubias, and Katie McDermott are eager to kick off the 2023 season.

The 2022 season didn’t go as planned for the CSUDH women’s soccer team, but Interim Head Coach Danielle Jones is ready to turn the page.

“We had a good group of young women last year, but we just didn’t click as a team like we had hoped,” says Jones, who is in her first year in charge of the squad. “We’re looking forward to changing that this year.”

Despite starting last season with high hopes, the losses quickly began to add up. The team ended the season with a disappointing 1-13-4 record. “It was a rough, rough go,” admits Jones. “But we have a good opportunity now to rebuild the program. The assistant coaches and I have had a lot of time to think about all the things that we want to do in the future. I think we’ve put together a really good culture and a solid plan for what we plan to do this year.”

When Jones brought the team together for spring practice, the emphasis was on recapturing the joy of playing soccer. “We wanted the players to start having fun again,” says Jones. “We just let them play–they did small-side games, worked on fitness and technical things, and just let them be college athletes.

“I think that really helped. I saw a lot of growth from so many of them being able to find their voice or their playing style.”

The squad returns only ten players from last season’s team, but Jones and her staff have bolstered their ranks through a whirlwind recruiting process. Overall, the team is bringing in 21 new players from the junior college and high school ranks. “We did a lot of work to bring this squad together, and our roster is pretty stacked now,” says Jones.

Jones has spent the off-season meticulously planning for this year. “I feel like we’re starting from the ground up, in a very positive and methodical way,” she says. “I have all my practice sessions planned for months!”

This season will be one of transition, as the team adapts to new coaching and looks to get the program headed back in the right direction. “I’ll measure success as how we change the culture,” says Jones. “Is everyone bought into what we’re doing? Is everyone competing? As long as we’re competing every day and everyone comes in with intensity, that’s going to be a positive step.”

Jones knows that wins will be hard to come by in the ultra-competitive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), but wants her team to embrace the challenge. “There are never easy games in our conference,” says Jones. “It’s high-level competition, and that’s what we’re trying to build here. This year, I just want our players to enjoy their experience, have fun, and be competitive. I think it’s going to be a turnaround season for us.”

She encourages Toro students to come out and support the squad as they rebuild a winning culture. “We’re going to be fast, aggressive, brave in the air–I’m very attack-minded and the team will always be looking to go forward. We’re definitely going to give you a show. We’re building something new and can use all the support we can get from the students!”

The CSUDH women’s soccer team plays their home opener against Concordia University Irvine on Friday, Sept. 8 at 5:00 p.m., at Toro Stadium. Their complete schedule is available at https://gotoros.com/sports/womens-soccer/schedule.

Toro Men’s Soccer Aims to Build on Success

August 28, 2023 By Nick Bulum

Toro men's soccer players Zane Baumgardt, Sebastian Ascensio, and Ndifor Ginyui.
Toros (L-R) Zane Baumgardt, Sebastian Ascensio, and Ndifor Ginyui are ready to make their mark.

The 2022 CSUDH men’s soccer team may have won the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title and reached the third round of the NCAA Division II Championships, but head coach Eddie Soto can’t help but think about what might have been.

“There was a lot to be very, very proud of last season,” says Soto. “But in the end, we came up short. We missed our expectations, to be honest. We had a team that could have gone further. We all felt that way.”

The team’s dreams of reaching the Elite Eight were dashed with a third-round tournament loss to Northwest Nazarene University. Despite dominating most of the match and scoring a go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute, the Toros were beaten by a pair of very late goals. The 3-2 loss sent the Toros crashing out of the tournament earlier than expected.

“We were six minutes from the Elite Eight, and here we are ready to start a new season and that bad taste is still in my mouth,” says Soto, who heads the United Soccer Coaches (USC) 2022 West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. “I think it’s the same with the guys. I’m not taking anything away from what our players and our team did. It was great, we had a fantastic year, and we’re back on the national map, which is great.”

“But they had two goals in 58 seconds! You tip your hat to the other team. They were very resilient, they came back and beat us, but I think at the end of the day, we beat ourselves. I think everybody feels that way.”

Soto is determined that the squad learn from its mistakes last season. One of his favorite catchphrases is “Complacency Hinders Progress,” and the coach believes that was part of the Toros’ undoing in the tournament loss.

“I think our guys were thinking that the game was over,” says Soto. “They were already thinking of the Elite Eight, and then in one minute we lose the game. It was a tough lesson to learn, but I’m a big believer that you learn a lot from losing. Hopefully, we’ve learned that we can never feel complacent or comfortable with where we are.”

The Toros start the 2023 season with renewed expectations, and were voted tenth nationally in the annual USC preseason poll–the highest-ranked team in the CCAA. Soto doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, though. He knows that the CCAA is a minefield to traverse over the course of the season.

“It’s always tough,” he says. “We’re the ACC of Division II. It’s the toughest conference in the country. I don’t see it being any different from last year. Every game is going to be a battle. That’s why recruiting is so important. You can’t rely on what you’ve done in the past, it’s always about here and now. On any given day, any team can win in our conference. You can’t underestimate anyone.”

The Toros lost several key contributors from last season’s squad, including CCAA Male Athlete of the Year Sulaiman Bah, who transferred to Cal State Fullerton along with fellow Sierra Leone native Alpha Sowe. Replacing them won’t be easy, but Soto and his staff have had a great recruiting year and expect many of the new Toros to make a big impact.

“Depth is going to be very important, especially in the CCAA, where the season takes a toll on guys–physically, mentally, and emotionally,” says Soto. “Our number one goal when we were recruiting was to improve our depth. I feel that we’ve done that in every position. We have a lot of talent on the team. Now it’s about who’s going to adapt, to compete, to be consistent, and at the end of the day, who’s going to produce?”

Soto has big expectations for the squad this season, but stresses that the Toros can’t get ahead of themselves. “For us, it’s about who are we playing on that given day, and all our concentration and focus is on that. That needs to start with me and my staff, we’re not going to look ahead. We can’t. We’ve got to focus on the moment.”

The team and coaching staff are excited to get the season started and see how far they can go. “We have some really dynamic and athletic guys who are also technically skilled,” says Soto. “I’m really excited to see if we can put all the pieces together. That’s the hard part.”

The CSUDH men’s soccer team plays their home opener against Azusa Pacific University on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6:00 p.m., at Toro Stadium. Their complete schedule is available at https://gotoros.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule.

Sulaiman Bah Named West Region Player of the Year

December 7, 2022 By Kandis Newman

2022 Division II Conference Commissioners Association West Region Player of the Year Sulaiman Bah
2022 Division II Conference Commissioners Association West Region Player of the Year Sulaiman Bah

After helping to lead the CSUDH men’s soccer team to their best season in years, Toro sophomore midfielder Sulaiman Bah won the Division II Conference Commissioners Association West Region Player of the Year for the 2022 season. He became the first CSUDH player to win the award.

Bah finished the season with 18 goals and 12 assists, establishing a new CSUDH single-season scoring record. Seven of his goals were match-winners, which ranked first among all players in NCAA Division II.

A native of Sierra Leone, Bah graduated from Laguna Blanca High School in Santa Barbara, Calif., before attending CSUDH. “Winning player of the year was a special moment to me and my family,” said Bah in accepting the award.

“It shows that all the work I put in over the years is paying off,” he continued. “Not being able to have a season in 2020 [due to the COVID-19 pandemic], I still dedicated myself to work out and train every day to prepare for moments like this. I will cherish this season for the rest of my life, and will use this to inspire others, especially little kids, to always work hard and believe in themselves.”

Under head coach Eddie Soto, the Toros enjoyed their best season in years in 2022. The team finished with an overall record of 15-2-5, with a 7-0-4 record in the rugged California Collegiate Athletic Association. The team rose as high as number two in the national Division II rankings, and highlights included a 1-0 win over then-number one team Cal State Los Angeles.

The Toros made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017, eventually losing 3-2 to Northwest Nazarene University of Idaho in the third round.

CSUDH Women’s Soccer Aims to Exceed Expectations

September 8, 2022 By Kandis Newman

CSUDH Women's Soccer Aims to Exceed Expectations
The 2022 CSUDH Toro women’s soccer team. (Photo courtesy Jena Rouser)

Marine Cano, head coach of the CSUDH women’s soccer team, has one thing on his mind as his squad begins the 2022 season: “Respect.”

After a disappointing 5-11-1 record in the 2021 season, the team was placed at the bottom of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll. “I was kind of mad at first,” says Cano. “But now I’m kind of happy they picked us last. It really fired us up. We’re starting the season with a big chip on our shoulders. It will be great motivation.”

For his part, Cano believes that this year’s Toros can make some noise in the CCAA. “We’ve got a group of young women who want to bring some notoriety to CSUDH,” he says. “We’re going to do our best, and I think we’re going to be able to steal some games. I think if everybody’s healthy, we have a good team, but we’ve got to prove it.”

This is Cano’s second stint as head coach of the Toros. He helped found the program in 1984 and quickly established CSUDH as a powerhouse. During his 10 years guiding the program, CSUDH reached the Final Four twice and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1991–the first national title in Toro athletics history.

He returned to CSUDH in 2018, after successful stints at UC Irvine and Soka University of America. For Cano, his brief during his second tenure is straightforward. “I got hired because CSUDH wanted to get that trophy back.”

After a successful 2019 season that saw the Toros reach the CCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years, the 2020 season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects lingered throughout the disappointing 2021 campaign, as the team suffered the departures of several key players due to the pandemic and its ensuing complications.

For 2022, Cano has brought in 11 new recruits whose talent will help bolster the squad. “This season, we focused on recruiting goalkeepers. We need to keep the ball out of the net,” he says. “We also needed better speed, and we wanted athletes who have the passion to work really hard. I think we’ve got that this year.”

As it is every season, the CCAA is expected be among the best conferences in the nation. Cano knows the team has its work cut out for them. “The top four teams are legit,” he says. The conference powers are expected to be Sonoma State, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State LA, and Cal State Stanislaus, but Cano is confident that this year’s Toros are up to the challenge. “On the day, we can beat anybody. That’s what I’m banking on.”

His goal for the season is to finish in the top six of the CCAA and qualify for the end-of-season tournament. To get there, his plan is to utilize the team’s improved speed. “We want to play fast,” he says. “You can’t slow it down in this conference. You have to defend and then it has to turn immediately into offense. You’ve got to be very fit to play like that, so we’re really focusing on getting the women in shape for the grind of a long season.”

The 2022 season has gotten off to a slow start for the women, with losses to Azuza Pacific, Colorado Mesa, and Concordia, and draws with Western Colorado and British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University. They hope to turn things around in front of their home crowd this weekend, when they play Fresno Pacific and Cal State Monterey Bay on the CSUDH campus. 

“We’ve got to get this program back to where it was,” says Cano. “We’ve got a young team, a fast team, but are they strong enough and do we have the experience with our returning players to be able to win the conference? Two years ago, we achieved a lot of our goals. We just need more consistency. We need to really be on fire when the conference season starts.” 

The CSUDH women’s soccer team continues their home schedule against Fresno Pacific University at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, and Cal State Monterey Bay at noon on Saturday, Sept. 17. Both matches are at Dignity Health Sports Park Field #3. 

Student admission is free. 

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