Lukas Blankenstein/ Asst. Sports Editor

Torero Stadium was filled with celebration on Nov. 10 as the men’s soccer team won their second consecutive WCC title. The Toreros won a tight game against Gonzaga, securing their spot at the top of the WCC standings. The title also guaranteed them a spot in the NCAA tournament. This is the Toreros’ 11th men’s soccer title, and 16th time appearing in the NCAA tournament since the founding of the soccer team in 1980.

USD sophomore defenseman Owen Walz spoke on what winning the WCC title was like. “Winning the WCC was an amazing feeling. The whole team worked extremely hard this year to reach this goal. I am happy to be able to contribute and help the team get to this point,” Walz stated.

The game started off quickly, with sophomore Cesar Bahena netting a goal at two minutes and nine seconds into the game. Bahena, a midfielder, scored six goals this season, including two goals during conference play. Bahena’s goal ended up being the difference, with Toreros going on to win the game 1-0. The win would bring the Toreros to 11-4-3 on the season, and 5-1-1 in conference. The Toreros also gave the home crowd a lot to cheer about, winning seven games at home, and only losing once.

USD redshirt senior and midfielder, Mason Tunbridge, provided an assist on Bahena’s game-winning goal. Tunbridge led the Toreros this season in both goals (seven) and assists (nine). Tunbridge was also fifth in the conference in goals and second in assists. Tunbridge’s efforts were enough to land him the WCC offensive player of the year. After the season ended, Tunbridge also signed with Path2Pro, a player agency that aims to give players the chance to be scouted and seen by professional soccer clubs.

Coach Brian Quinn reflectively commented on Tunbridge’s impact on the team this season.

“Mason has been the catalyst in many of our wins and he has this uncanny ability to change games with one play,” Quinn stated. “He continues to be our most dangerous player in the attacking half of the field.”

USD senior goalkeeper Luis Ludosan also played a key role in the Toreros’ win, snagging four saves in order to preserve the team’s shutout. Ludosan’s performance was enough to earn him the WCC defensive player of the week, the second time he has earned such an honor this year. 

Defense was another key part of the Toreros’ success this year. The team had eight shutouts, six of which came with Ludosan in the net. The Toreros only allowed 0.94 average goals against per match, good top 40 in the nation. 

USD defenseman Owen Walz commented on the team’s defensive success. 

“I feel like the whole back line has been on the same page since day one, and everyone knows each other’s tendencies and what they are doing,” Walz stated. “We have a bunch of good players that have one goal in mind: to not get scored on.” 

Several Toreros received WCC honors for their performances this season. Tunbridge and senior defenseman Trevor Dillon were named to the All- WCC First Team, while Bahena, senior midfield/forward Rhys Gourdie and junior defenseman Ethan Warne were all named to the second team. Midfielders Vicente Ayala (sophomore) and Ross Johnstone (senior) were also given All-WCC honorable mentions. Finally, first-year forward Steven Ramirez and first-year midfielder Oliver Rhoades were named to the All-WCC Freshman Team.

 The Toreros also played well enough to secure a home field advantage in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They were drawn to face the California Baptist University Lancers (CBU) on Nov. 16.

Coach Quinn also talked about how much the home field setting meant to his team.

“One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to play well enough so we would have an opportunity to play at home. Fortunately this has occurred, and we look forward to hosting California Baptist on Thursday, Nov. 16 in Torero Stadium.”

On Nov. 16, the Toreros played a 1-1 game that necessitated penalties to break the tie. They lost 3-2 on penalty kicks, ending their season.

In a postgame press conference with the team, Quinn stated, “The emotion right now is just disappointment more than anything.” However, he did mention that “I’m proud of [the team] because [of] where we were at two years ago.” This is a reference to the Toreros’ 2021 campaign, where they went 2-15. Quinn also mentioned that he was proud of “what they have established for our young guys coming in and for our recruits next year.”

While the season didn’t end the way many had hoped, the Toreros were still able to make history with their 2023 WCC title.

Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram. The USD men’s soccer team won Toreros’ 11th men’s soccer title since 1980.