UC Riverside Blanks Cal Poly 2-0 in Finale
Cal Poly's loss to UC Riverside ended its season and eliminated it from Pac-12 Tournament qualification.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Soccer
UC Riverside defeated Cal Poly 2-0 on Saturday night at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium in the teams' final match of the season. The result ended Cal Poly's season and its postseason hopes.
Why it matters
The loss eliminated Cal Poly from Pac-12 Tournament qualification, closing out its season with a 6-7-5 overall record and a 1-3-2 conference mark. For San Luis Obispo, it marks the end of the Mustangs' home schedule for the year.
Cal Poly took 13 shots to UC Riverside's 8 and earned four corner kicks, but managed only three shots on goal. Tarek Hamideh scored on a penalty kick in the 53rd minute, and Wyatt Ponting added a second goal just over a minute later.
The players
Cal Poly Mustangs
The men's soccer program of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, competing in the Big West Conference and Pac-12 Tournament qualification race.
UC Riverside Highlanders
The men's soccer program of the University of California, Riverside, which earned the road win and finished its season with a 5-7-5 overall record.
The details
The first half was scoreless before Hamideh converted a penalty in the 53rd minute. Ponting then intercepted a clearance from Cal Poly goalkeeper Dylan Glowaski, dribbled toward goal and fired a shot inside the left post. Finn Linas hit the crossbar for Cal Poly in the 64th minute, but the Mustangs could not find an equalizer.
Timeline
Saturday night: UC Riverside defeats Cal Poly 2-0 at Mustang Memorial Field.
Season Trajectory
Cal Poly's elimination from Pac-12 Tournament qualification closes out a 2026 season that finished with a 6-7-5 overall record. UC Riverside's 2-0 win gave it a 5-7-5 overall mark, leaving both programs outside the postseason conversation after the final whistle.
With the loss, Cal Poly's 2026 men's soccer season is over and no further matches remain on the schedule. Fans looking to follow the program will have to wait for next season's fixtures.
The takeaway
Cal Poly's season ended with a single-goal swing from a penalty and a late counterattack. The result is a reminder that a team can outshoot its opponent and still leave with nothing when finishing falls short.
Further reading
Follow more local coverage in Soccer for the latest on San Luis Obispo's teams.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mustang News.
