CSUN NOTEBOOK: MATADORS MEN ASCEND SOCCER TEAM HAS SHOT AT FIRST DIVISION I-A PLAYOFF BERTH.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

There are 10 freshmen on the roster, and as many as six have started for the Cal State Northridge men's soccer team. That, however, doesn't mean the Matadors are looking at the season as a rebuilding one. On the contrary, CSUN hopes to garner a playoff spot in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Led by newcomer Tony Ortega, the young Matadors have had some impressive outings. Ortega scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Cal on Sept. 15.

It was CSUN's first win over a Pac-10 school since it beat Stanford in 1998.

Coach Terry Davila's recruiting class has everyone believing Northridge soccer has a bright future.

``I think we've had some pretty decent flashes of brilliance,'' said senior goalkeeper Christian Perez. ``But we're a young team. We've had some serious moments when other teams couldn't believe this is Northridge.''

Perez has flourished in goal for the Matadors. He recorded his third consecutive home shutout with nine saves in the win over Cal, and his career goals-against average in his four years as a starter is 1.35.

``He's the backbone of the team,'' Davila said. ``He's become a leader. He's become a great leader, in fact. He's grown up a lot. I'm very proud of him.''

The Matadors showed their inconsistency by following the win over the Golden Bears with a 2-0 loss to San Diego. They rebounded with a 2-1 home victory over Oregon State on Sunday.

CSUN also is struggling on the road with an 0-3 record. Not only that, but the Matadors also have failed to score a goal away from home. It was the first time CSUN was held scoreless in three straight road games since 1978 - the year the program started. Those are statistics that don't bode well for the Matadors if they're to contend for the playoffs.

``We just don't know how to win on the road,'' senior forward William Diaz said. ``If you want to be a championship team in any sport, you have to win on the road and kick butt at home.''

The Matadors haven't had trouble with the latter. They opened the season with consecutive 1-0 wins over Saint Mary's and Azusa Pacific.

Then there was the win over Cal in which Ortega scored four minutes into the match. Northridge had just 10 shots on goal in that game but has had no problem creating numerous scoring opportunities. But it only scored three goals in its first three wins.

``We've just been unlucky,'' Ortega said. ``With the amount of chances we're getting, that's a positive. If we weren't creating so much and not scoring sure goals, it would be negative.''

Davila said the team takes a step forward and then a step back. He said if the Matadors stay focused on each game, they have a realistic shot at the postseason. The Matadors haven't made the playoffs since they moved to Division I-A.

``I like the fighting spirit,'' Davila said. ``They're always trying to get better and improve. They're not satisfied with just being Division I. They're determined to keep winning at home and find a way to win on the road.''

--Off to great start: The CSUN volleyball team (8-2, 3-1 Big Sky) established itself as one of the top teams in the conference, as it won its first three league matches. The Matadors lost to Massachusetts in their third match of the season and then won eight straight. Eastern Washington snapped the streak with a 15-13, 15-9, 17-15 victory. Outside hitter Alexis Cormier and middle blocker Laura Szymanski had 17 and 16 kills, respectively.

--Looking for offense: Sophomore Melissa Cleal came up big for the Matadors women's soccer team when she scored a goal to give her team a 1-0 win over UC Santa Barbara last week. Cleal's goal ended a three-game losing streak for CSUN - a streak in which it didn't score a goal. The Matadors scored only one goal in their first six games.

``We're getting great opportunities - a lot of opportunities,'' coach Allison Lee said. ``For some reason, it's just not happening for us. It would be nice to get more and more. You figure the more opportunities you have, the more chances to score. It's not like we're not getting good chances.''

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Photo:

Cal State Northridge's Charles Mitchell nearly scores during Sunday's game.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer