TURLOCK, Calif.---No. 3-ranked Stanislaus State closed out its regular season in style Thursday morning, cruising past UC Merced 4-0 in front of the home crowd at Warrior Stadium. The Warriors capped an outstanding 2025 campaign with a 14-1-1 overall record and 8-1-1 mark in the CCAA, securing the No. 2 seed for next week's CCAA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament in Seaside, Calif.
Despite the dominant victory, Cal State Dominguez Hills edged Cal State East Bay 1-0 on Thursday afternoon to claim the CCAA regular-season title, leaving the Warriors one point shy of first place.
First Half
The Warriors controlled possession throughout the opening 45 minutes, firing seven shots and keeping the Bobcats pinned in their defensive half.
Angel Ruiz-Hernandez made two first-half saves to keep the match scoreless at halftime as Stan State set the tone with consistent pressure and composure on the ball.
Second Half
Stanislaus State erupted for four second-half goals to put the match away. In the 47th minute,
Ian Reis opened the scoring with his first goal of the season, heading home a corner service from
Samuel Villanueva and
Federico Barbieri.
The Warriors doubled their lead in the 69th minute when
Emmanuel Duran finished from close range off a pass from
Gerardo Flores. Just three minutes later,
Kenneth Solares added a third goal, converting a feed from Duran for his fourth of the season.
Alexis Cervantes closed out the scoring in the 84th minute, finding the back of the net off an assist from
Sebastian Carbajal to make it 4-0.
Ruiz-Hernandez recorded four saves to earn his eighth shutout of the season and extend his single-season wins total to 14. The Warriors outshot UC Merced 17-9, including a 7-4 edge in shots on target.
Warrior Notables
• Stanislaus State finishes the regular season 14-1-1 overall and 8-1-1 in the CCAA.
•
Ian Reis,
Emmanuel Duran,
Kenneth Solares, and
Alexis Cervantes each scored for the Warriors.
• Assists were credited to
Samuel Villanueva,
Federico Barbieri,
Gerardo Flores, Duran, and
Sebastian Carbajal.
•
Angel Ruiz-Hernandez made four saves to earn his eighth shutout of the season.
• Ruiz-Hernandez ranks second in Stanislaus State single-season history with eight shutouts and third all-time with 14 career shutouts. He is also third in career wins (20) and fourth in career minutes (2,862:14).
•
Samuel Villanueva tied the program's single-season record with 10 assists and ranks second all-time in career assists with 14.
•
Gerardo Flores ranks fifth in program history for single-season goals (9) and fifth for single-season points (24).
• The Warriors have recorded nine shutouts and allowed just nine goals in 16 matches this season.
Up Next
With the No. 2 seed secured, Stanislaus State advances to the 2025 CCAA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament, hosted by Cal State Monterey Bay at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, Calif. The Warriors will face the winner of Cal State LA and Cal State East Bay in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, at 10:30 a.m.
The latest United Soccer Coaches national poll, released Wednesday, ranks Stanislaus State No. 3 in the nation, while the updated NCAA Division II Super Region 4 rankings are expected Wednesday, providing the most recent look at postseason positioning heading into NCAA selections on Nov. 17.
