Cal State Northridge - Three Star Class Ranking  - Terry Davila will welcome an eight member recruiting class to the Valley in 2009 that he hopes will give the Matadors the little something extra that they need to get back into the thick of the Big West Conference race.  Davila stated, “This group has the most experience of any class that we have ever recruited.”   A few years ago the Big West Conference was pretty much a two-horse race between perennial powerhouse UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge but with the emergence of the programs at UC Irvine, Cal Poly, and UC Davis that is clearly no longer the case.  In fact, the Matadors have not finished in one of the top two spots in Big West play since the 2005 season which is also the last time they received an invite to the NCAA Tournament.  Cal State Northridge has consistently fielded competitive sides but the bottom line is that the trend line has been downward for the past three years.  Things don’t get any easier for the Matadors in 2009 as the Big West Conference will again be extremely competitive.  However, with  several teams in the league in a rebuilding mode the opportunity exists for what looks to be an experienced Cal State Northridge squad to climb a few notches upward and reclaim some of the ground that the program has lost over the past few seasons.  The Matadors return eight starters from the 2008 team that was 8-7-4 overall with a 4-3-3 mark in conference play.  Davila will also have the additional benefit of having midfielders Devin Deldo and Rafael Garcia back after both sustained season ending injuries in the opening match of the 2008 campaign.  On the flip side, for the first time in four years, the Matadors will not have Kevin Guppy between the pipes.  Guppy, who was twice honored as the Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, was among the most successful keepers to ever  put a foot on the pitch for Cal State Northridge.  In addition to Guppy, the Matadors also lose starting defenders Ben Cox (3g, 0a) and Bo Miller (1g, 1a) due to graduation.   Last year the Cal State Northridge offense produced a total of twenty-seven goals.  The team’s top playmakers from the 2008 season, forwards Camilo Rojas (7g, 3a), Cameron Sims (5g, 1a) and Moy Gomez (4g, 0a) along with midfielder Sunghyun Kim (5g, 7a), all return.  With Rojas, who was a 2008 Second Team All-Big West selection,  Sims, Gomez, and Milan Radovic (1g, 1a) all retuning up-top the Matadors should have a deep and experienced forward line.  Kim, who was a First Team All-Big West selection last year, will set the tone for the midfield.  He has been a starter for the past three years and is one of the most reliable and talented players in the Big West Conference.  Senior Dylan Riley (0g, 5a) and junior Luis Smith (0g, 1a) are among other returning midfielders who were starters last year.  Junior Nicholas Hamilton (1g, 0a) and sophomore Daniel Yoon should also be in the mix in the midfield.  The return of senior Devin Deldo and sophomore Rafael Garcia, who both missed last year due to injury, is a huge plus for the Matador midfield heading into the 2009 season.  Senior Robert Pate (0g, 5a), who was a 2008 All-Big West Second Team selection, returns to anchor the backline.   Pate is a solid ball winner who also adds an additional element to the attack out of the back.  Senior Chad Borak (0g, 2a), junior Jeremy Hohn, senior Ruben Rodriquez and sophomore Matthew Chavez round out would should be a stable Cal State Northridge backline.  Guppy’s replacement in goal looks to be either redshirt sophomore Brandon Ibarra from Encino or freshman Michael Abalos from San Juan Capistrano out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School.  If the Cal State Northridge defense can hold up against the explosive offenses they will face against non-conference opponents like Tulsa, SMU, and Denver as well as the multi-dimensional attacks they will face in Big West play, and if they avoid the injury issues that hampered them last year, the Matadors should seriously contend again for the Big West Title.  This team has the talent and experience, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, to make some noise but the deciding factor may be whether or not they have the discipline and mental toughness needed to pick up the pace a notch or two.   Time will tell.  

 

Luis Gil - Fillmore, California - Midfielder - Fillmore High School - First Team All-CIF - Tri-County League Offensive MVP - Cal South ODP team member - Played club with Real So Cal.  

 

Eddie Gonzales - Thousand Oaks, California - Midfielder - Thousand Oaks High School - First-Team All-League - Played club with Real So Cal - Participated in U.S. U-18 Mega-Camp. 

 

Jesus Landerso - Oxnard, California - Midfielder - Channel Islands High - All-CIF - All County selection - Played club with FC Barcelona - Invited to ESP - Region IV and Cal South ODP teams.

 

Chris Smith - Palmdale, California - Defender - Quartz Hill High School - Played club with FC Barcelona.

 

Thomas Jake Troy - Salt Lake City, Utah - Defender - Judge Memorial Catholic High School - First-Team All-State selection - Member Utah ODP team - Played club for La Roca FC.

 

Gustavo Villalobos - Van Nuys, California - Midfielder - Birmingham High School - Thirty-two goals and eight assists his senior season - First Team All-West Valley - Cal South ODP team. 

 

Michael Abalos - San Juan Capistrano, California - Goalkeeper - Santa Margarita Catholic High School - Played club for the Pateadores.

 

Yuval Borak - Tel Aviv, Israel - Defender - Aliance High School - Dedicated and disciplined left-back - Just completed commitment to the Israeli National Army.