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UCCS Athletics

MSOC Second Round Preview

PREVIEW | Men’s Soccer Set for NCAA Second Round Matchup at No. 2 Seed Cal State Dominguez Hills

11/22/2025 3:00:00 PM

By: Tyler Tvelia, Sports Information Director
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
  • Coming off last night's wild penalty kick victory over No. 7 seed California State University Los Angeles, the No. 10 seed University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team is set to take on No. 2 seed California State University Dominguez Hills on Sunday, Nov. 23 in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament. Kickoff for Sunday's clash between the No. 19 nationally ranked Mountain Lions and the No. 9 nationally ranked Toros is set for 4 p.m. (MT) at Toro Stadium in Carson, Calif.
  • The winner of Sunday's matchup between UCCS and Cal State Dominguez Hills will advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will meet the winner of today's matchup featuring No. 3 seed Point Loma Nazarene University and No. 6 seed California State University San Bernardino. Today's second round matchup between the Sea Lions and the Coyotes kicked off at 2 p.m. (MT).
GAME COVERAGE TICKETS
  • All fans will be charged admission and are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online. Fans will also have the option to scan a QR code at the gate to purchase tickets on their mobile phones. 
  • A parking permit is required in all CSUDH campus lots. The permit can be purchased at the yellow kiosk for $10.
  • Ticket Prices:
    • General Admission - $13.00
    • College Student w/valid student I.D. - $11.00
    • Children 12 and Under – Free
LAST TIME OUT
  • The Mountain Lions first round matchup against No. 7 seed Cal State LA began with some adversity as the Golden Eagles scored twice in the first 20 minutes of the match to take an early 2-0 lead.
  • Despite the tough start, the momentum shifted in the favor of UCCS in the 30th minute when Diego Macias buried a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box into the top right corner of the net to cut the Mountain Lions' deficit to one goal. After putting their first goal on the scoreboard, it took less than five minutes for the Mountain Lions to find an equalizer as Eduardo Macias and Sean Belzer connected on subsequent passes to set up a goal for Jack Cook that brought the game even at two goals apiece. In the 39th minute, UCCS took advantage of a miscue on the part of Cal State LA as the Golden Eagles committed an own goal off a corner kick by Cook, giving the Mountain Lions a 3-2 advantage heading into the half.
  • The Mountain Lions spent a large portion of the second half on the defensive third of the pitch as Cal State LA recorded 15 total shots and five shots on goal in the period while attempting to equalize the match. UCCS held tight until the final minute of the match, but the Golden Eagles were given a penalty kick opportunity with just 40 seconds remaining and converted on the scoring chance to send the game to overtime.
  • UCCS ramped up their offensive pressure as the match flipped to overtime as they put immense pressure on the Golden Eagles defense as they recorded seven total shots and four shots on goal throughout the 20 minutes of extra time but were unable to find the back of the net as the match continued to the penalty shootout.  
  • In PKs, the Mountain Lions missed their first opportunity but made their next four shots while the Golden Eagles missed their second shot and had their third shot saved by Sjöberg as UCCS secured a 4-2 win in the shootout to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
  • A full recap of the Mountain Lions' NCAA First Round matchup against the Golden Eagles can be found HERE.
 
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL RANKINGS
  • The Mountain Lions opened the 2025 campaign ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll and found themselves in and out of the rankings throughout the season. UCCS landed at No. 19 in the final two publications of the national poll that were released on Nov. 4 and 11.
  • No. 2 seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills started the campaign ranked No. 24 in the preseason poll before falling out of the rankings for the first six publications of the year. The Toros vaulted into the national rankings in the Week 7 release with a No. 16 ranking and finished the year as the No. 9 ranked team in the country in the final two national polls.
2025 United Soccer Coaches Rankings
Preseason           July 31              #17
Week 1                Sept. 9              NR
Week 2                Sept. 16            NR
Week 3                Sept. 23            NR
Week 4                Sept. 30            NR
Week 5                Oct.   7              NR
Week 6                Oct. 14              #22
Week 7                Oct. 21              RV
Week 8                Oct. 28              NR
Week 9                Nov. 4                #19
Week 10              Nov. 11              #19
 
RMAC AWARDS
  • The UCCS men's soccer program had five student-athletes combine for a total of nine weekly conference awards throughout the 2025 campaign.
    • Week 1 (Sept. 9): Nick Walker – RMAC Offensive Player of the Week
      Week 4 (Sept. 30): Maddox Brown – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
      Week 5 (Oct. 7): Miles Seminario – RMAC Offensive Player of the Week
      Week 5 (Oct. 7): Hugo Sjöberg – RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week
      Week 6 (Oct. 14): Nick Walker – RMAC Offensive Player of the Week
      Week 6 (Oct. 14): Luke Noameshie – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
      Week 6 (Oct. 14): Hugo Sjöberg – RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week
      Week 8 (Oct. 28): Luke Noameshie – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
      Week 8 (Oct. 28): Hugo Sjöberg – RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week
  • The conference office announced their all-conference teams and individual major awards for the 2025 men's soccer season on Thursday, Nov. 13. Sophomore Luke Noameshie headlined a group of six Mountain Lion honorees as he earned All-RMAC First Team honors and was voted as the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to Noameshie's accolades, Miles Seminario and Nick Walker were also named to the All-RMAC First Team while Dimitrios Leonoglou, Soulo Letsoalo, and Hugo Sjöberg were each tabbed to the All-RMAC Second Team.
  • The RMAC All-Academic Teams were revealed at noon on Friday, Nov. 14 as senior Nick Walker headlined a group of nine student-athletes from the UCCS men's soccer team that earned academic recognition from the conference. Walker became the first UCCS men's soccer student-athlete in program history to earn RMAC Men's Soccer Academic Player of the Year honors. Along with teammate Miles Seminario, Walker was also honored as a member of the RMAC All-Academic First Team, while Sean Belzer, Dimitrios Leonoglou, Jordan Lohr, Diego Macias, Eduardo Macias, Rory Scott, and Dalton Uehling were listed on the Honor Roll.
  • UCCS had six student-athletes named to the RMAC All-Tournament team following their championship game victory over MSU Denver with Jack Cook securing Tournament MVP honors and Luke Noameshie, Miles Seminario, Eduardo Macias, Hugo Sjöberg, and Cole Wearner also being recognized.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
  • The Mountain Lions head into their NCAA Second Round matchup holding the fifth-ranked defense in the RMAC as they have surrendered 1.33 goals per game and have limited opponents to just 12.1 total shots per game and 4.1 shots on goal per game.
  • UCCS has had six players log at least 1,000 minutes of action on the defensive side of the ball this season, including freshman Maddox Brown (1,315), sophomores Luke Noameshie (1,459) and Gustavo Diaz Avila (1,111), junior Dalton Uehling (1,082), and seniors Soulo Letsoalo (1,331) and Dimitrios Leonoglou (1,125).
  • Hugo Sjöberg has been a mainstay between the sticks for UCCS throughout the season as he has played all 1,910 minutes at goalkeeper, posting a 1.32 GAA with 56 saves and a .667 save percentage. The Kiel, Germany native currently sits third in the conference in clean sheets (5) and saves while sitting fifth in the league in GAA.
  • Offensively, the Mountain Lions are ranked sixth in the conference in scoring with 1.91 goals per game and 5.29 shots on goal per game. In addition, UCCS currently sits second in the RMAC with 13.86 total shots per game and 5.67 corner kicks per game.
  • The senior duo of Miles Seminario and Nick Walker have spearheaded the Mountain Lions' offensive efforts throughout the season as they have combined to score 18 of the team's 40 goals. Seminario currently sits fourth in the RMAC with 10 goals, while Walker is tied for sixth in the conference with eight goals. Jack Cook (4), Drew Sanchez (3), Cole Wearner (2), and Eduardo Macias (2) are the other Mountain Lion players that have recorded multiple goals on the season, while 10 additional student athletes have notched one goal.
SCOUTING CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
  • No. 2 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills kicks off their NCAA Tournament push holding a 12-3-4 overall record. The Toros posted an 8-0-2 record in conference play to earn the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season title but fell in the semifinal round of the conference tournament in a 3-2 overtime setback against California State University San Marcos.
  • The Toros boast one of the top defensive units in the CCAA and NCAA Division II as they currently rank second in their conference and 11th in the nation with a miniscule 0.733 goals allowed per game. Led by CCAA Player and Defender of the Year Ndifor Ginyui, Cal State Dominguez Hills has limited opponents to just 9.8 total shots per game and 3.6 shots on goal per game.
  • CSUDH has had tremendous continuity on their defensive backline throughout the season with four players logging at least 1,250 minutes of action, including David Politron (1,515), Alpha Sowe (1,372), Diego Barahona (1,356), and Ginyui (1,257).
  • Redshirt freshman Keegan O'Brien has been the primary goalkeeper for the Toros this season, appearing in 16 games for a total of 1,345 minutes while posting a 0.87 GAA with 38 saves to land on the All-CCAA Second Team. Cal State Dominguez Hills has also gotten contributions between the sticks from freshman Tiago Menezes and senior Jack Parker with Menezes boasting a perfect 0.00 GAA in 270 minutes of action and Parker holding a 0.86 GAA in 104 minutes on the pitch.
  • On the offensive side of the ball, the Toros rank eighth in the CCAA with 1.37 goals scored per game. As a team CSUDH sits ninth in the league with 10.68 total shots per game and 10th in the conference with 3.95 shots on goal per game. The Toros' offensive attack runs through All-CCAA First Team forward Christian Briseno, who has recorded three goals and one assist for seven points on the season. Briseno is one of four players from Dominguez Hills that has scored three goals on the campaign, joining Politron, Lucas Galarza, and Justin Cuevas. Barahona paces the team with four goals on the season and sits tied for the team-lead with nine points.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
  • The 2025 season has already been a historic one as the Mountain Lions have secured the first conference regular season and tournament titles in program history.
  • The Mountain Lions are making their third consecutive appearance in the national tournament and secured their first NCAA playoff victory on Friday evening with their penalty shootout win over Cal State LA. Sunday's match will mark the Mountain Lions' second straight season making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
  • A fourth-year member of the UCCS men's soccer program, Miles Seminario has etched his name into the top 10 in program history in multiple statistical categories during his senior season. With his playoff appearances, he has taken over as the program's all-time leader in games played with 83 in his career. Seminario also currently ranks second all-time in career shot on goal percentage (.500), fifth all-time in shots on goal (62), and 10th all-time in total shots (124). 
  • With his NCAA Division II and RMAC leading seven game-winning goals on the season, Walker now has nine game-winning goals in his two-year career at UCCS which ranks as the second-most by any player in program history.
  • With his 110-minute performance in Friday's first round matchup against Cal State LA, goalkeeper Hugo Sjöberg set a new program record for total minutes played in a single season as he has now played all 1,910 minutes between the sticks for the Mountain Lions this year.
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LEWIS WILCOX
  • Head coach Lewis Wilcox is currently in his fifth season at the helm of the UCCS men's soccer program and has posted an exceptional 54-27-19 overall record. Under the leadership of Wilcox, the men's soccer program has reached new heights as they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons and recently brought home the program's first conference regular season and tournament titles.
  • Across his first four seasons at the helm of the men's soccer program, Wilcox led the Mountain Lions to a 43-22-14 overall record while coaching the team to a trio of RMAC Semifinal appearances and the program's first two selections to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament. Under his guidance, UCCS student-athletes have collected 25 All-RMAC honors, including 11 first team accolades, 11 second team selections, and three honorable mentions. In addition, Wilcox has coached four RMAC major award winners, including the 2021 RMAC Player of the Year in Alex Andersson, the 2022 Co-Freshman of the Year in Matteo Moreno Madrid, the 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year in Soren Russell, and the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year in Luke Noameshie.
  • The Mountain Lions have been well-represented at the regional and national levels during his time at the head of the program, securing 10 D2CCA All-Region honors, three United Soccer Coaches All-Region accolades, and two D2CCA All-Americans (Alex Andersson – 2021 First Team, Dani Barajas - 2024 Second Team).
  • In addition, UCCS men's soccer has flourished academically with the leadership of Wilcox, securing eight RMAC All-Academic First Team honors, seven College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades, and two CSC Academic All-America award (Kolby Raineri – 2022 Third Team, Miles Seminario - 2024 Second Team). In addition, Nick Walker was named the 2025 RMAC Men's Soccer Academic Player of the Year under the tutelage of Wilcox.
WEATHER
  • The weather for Sunday afternoon in Carson, Calif. is forecasted to be sunny with temperatures in the mid-60s.
 
UP NEXT
  • The winner of Sunday's matchup between the Mountain Lions and Toros will advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament to take on the winner of today's matchup featuring No. 3 seed Point Loma and No. 6 seed CSU San Bernardino. The time and location of the third-round match will be determined based on the results from this weekend's second round games.
For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.
 
SOCIAL
Twitter – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions
 
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