HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay men's soccer is looking forward to the future as the 2014 season opener approaches on Saturday, Sept 6. This year's squad comprised of 19 upperclassmen, including 13 seniors, believes it has the experience, leadership, and determination to take the program to the next level.

Roster: 2014 Men's Soccer
Schedule: 2014 Men's Soccer

"The team is a lot hungrier this year. We believe that playoffs are definitely in the picture for us. No one is making plans until after October because we believe we will still be playing," said fifth year senior Arthur Ethel (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak HS).

Head Coach Andy Cumbo led last year's squad to a 5-10-1 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. The five league wins in 2013 are more than the program had in its previous combined four CCAA campaigns.

"We have a sense of leadership this season we haven't had in the past. They have an idea of what it is like to compete in this conference," said Cumbo. "Seniors Javier Martin (Hayward, Calif./Mt. Eden HS) and Rica Guerra (Hayward, Calif./City College of San Francisco) are doing very well and have been very consistent. Chris Lara has been a regular contributor in the past and been doing really well this preseason."

"This year everyone is much closer to each other. We are playing as a family and for each other," said Lara. "We are going to give it everything this season. I want to do whatever I can to help this team."

Lara, Ethel, Martin, and Trey James (Pomona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) all return for their senior campaigns and combined last season to score 14 of the team's 20 goals. Seniors Martin and Conley Perry (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley HS) earned All-CCAA Honorable Mention. Junior Duke Driggs (San Ramon, Calif./California HS) was the only Pioneer to start all 18 games last season and played more than a full 24-hour day worth of game action.

"We're trying to generate attacks and score more goals. In each year we've been able to generate more offense which is great," said Cumbo. "However we are focused more this year on defense. We want to be very organized defensively and defend as a unit."

Two-thirds of this year's roster is returning from a season ago. The incoming group of nine new faces will look to compliment a roster of seasoned veterans.

"All of our new players have made a good impact this preseason. Contenders for significant playing time are goalkeeper Adrian Topete (Pomona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) and defender Steven Henry (Pleasant Hill, Calif./La Sierra Univ.)," stated Cumbo. "In the midfield, Christian Rodriguez (Patterson, Calif./Patterson HS) is good with the ball and creative. Up front Jeremy Romero (Hercules, Calif./Hercules HS) and Michael Tieku (El Cerrito, Calif./Merritt College) are pushing for playing time with their performances thus far."

Three recent local high school graduates Ali Arianmanesh (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley HS), Luigi Castillo (Hayward, Calif./Hayward HS), and Michael Paiva (Livermore, Calif./Granada HS) are part of the new cast. Junior Francisco Ayala (Hayward, Calif./City College of San Francisco) round out the group.

This year's schedule alterations result in facing each of the 11 other league teams in a single match during the regular season. The Pioneers will have six non-conference games, as opposed to two a season ago, before heading into CCAA play in late September.

"The first time we play someone we always play them better. I can't explain it," said Ethel. "Now that we only get one shot, we think we have a better shot at playoffs."

Cal State East Bay will hit the road for four of its first five matches this season. The Pioneers will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 6, against Academy of Art inside Ram Stadium on the campus of City College of San Francisco. Other key dates include the team's home opener (Sept. 8), a 2-game road trip to the state of Washington (Sept. 13-15), the CCAA opener hosting Humboldt State (Sept. 26), and "Senior Day" against Cal State L.A. (Oct. 26).

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