Box Score CARSON, Calif. – In their first meeting in 15 years, men's soccer went toe-to-toe with the reigning CCAA champions Cal-State Dominguez Hills on Thursday night at Toro Stadium. Both teams were in for a grueling contest, as the match centered on set pieces and corner kicks. Both teams nearly walked away with a draw, but the Toros (1-0) pulled out the win with a penalty kick goal in the 78th minute to hand the Lions (0-1) the defeat in the opening game of the season.

VU has not claimed victory on opening day since the 2021 season.

The physical matchup ballooned to eight free kicks in the first half alone, with neither team able to capitalize on their aerial threats to connect on any clean looks. In fact, both produced just one shot each in the entirety of the first frame. Vanguard's official effort on goal came through Adan Alvardo. Shaun Im found the midfielder in a pocket of space, where the sophomore danced away from pressure but couldn't square his strike on goal.

The Lions also carved a near goal-scoring opportunity in the final five minutes of the half, as Niko Ochoa connected with a cross from Brian Silva but couldn't flick the header toward the Toro net.

Dominguez Hills settled into the second half with much healthier spells of possession to allow themselves to dictate the pace of the match. VU worked hard to break up play in the midfield, but fell behind offensively, as the Toros claimed advantages in total shots (5-2) and corner kicks (6-4). The decisive kick to close the game came just 12 minutes from the final whistle. The Lions surrendered a penalty, after a foul on a late runner and though Aidan Hay guessed the right way, the power of penalty ultimately beat him, as the VU dropped the season opener.

What's Next?
Vanguard will continue on the road, taking on CSU San Marcos Saturday, September 6, at 2 pm.