LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's men's soccer team got its 2019 season off to a successful start on a hot Thursday afternoon in University Stadium.
The Golden Eagles got goals from four players and blanked Northwest Nazarene, 4-0, in the season opener for both programs on Thursday. Cal State LA, from the California Collegiate Athletic Association, got goals from
Cyrille Njomo, Aiden Wait,
David Elizaga and
Eduardo Castellanos and two saves from
Alexander Brems to post the shutout.
Cal State LA (1-0), ranked 20th in the NCAA Division II preseason poll, posted 14 shutouts a year ago.
Newcomer
Cyrille Njomo opened the scoring for the Golden Eagles in the fourth minute on a play started by a beautiful long pass from
Tim Klefisch to
David Elizaga, who got the ball to Njomo, who deftly tapped the ball into the net for the goal.
Northwest Nazarene (0-1) did an admirable of staying dangerous for the remainder of the first half and was very much in the game until the Golden Eagles exploded for three second-half goals to put the game away.
Aiden Wait made it 2-0 in the 58th minute on another nice sequence with
Nick Nelson and
Angel Estrada getting the assists.
Elizaga, who led the Golden Eagles in assists last season with seven, got his first goal of the season in the 66th minute with a beautiful shot inside the far post with an assist from
Carlos Zarate.
Eduardo Castellanos made it 4-0 in the 84th minute with a spectacular assist from
Robin Lindahl. Lindahl, after a long run, got the ball to Castellanos, who ripped a shot to the near post for the first goal of his Cal State LA career.
Cal State LA will return to action on Monday with a home game against Concordia-Irvine at 4:30 p.m.
