VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : MEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW : Davila Primes Matadors for Tailor-Made Season

Terry Davila has a tough act to follow.

But Davila is a tough act himself. And that means the first-year coach and his Cal State Northridge men’s soccer players are prompt and polished for media day.

Neatly attired and clean-shaven, Davila is all business. He speaks confidently from behind dark glasses, removing them and smiling only for the camera. Players dressed in sparkling white uniforms dutifully form a single-file line for mugshots.

“We’re going to be prepared for every detail,” Davila says. “Whether that means being on time to a particular meeting, a class, the field, or even a media day, everything we will take very seriously.”

Team captain Mark Fitzpatrick, a transfer from the Naval Academy, said Davila’s approach is a bit like Uncle Sam’s.

“We had some guys come out late the second morning,” Fitzpatrick said. “Practice was at 7 and they showed up at 7:01. We all had to do crab walks.”

A new day has dawned for Northridge soccer, as Davila, 29, replaces Marwan Ass’ad, a successful coach for the Matadors for 16 seasons.

Davila was a four-year Matador starter and assistant to Ass’ad, who resigned in December to coach youth soccer. Davila coached at Northridge from 1995-97 and was co-coach at Reseda High in 1998.

He is taking his promotion seriously.

“I played under him, I coached under him,” Davila said of Ass’ad. “We had similar ideas. The only thing I want to add to the program is that we are going to expect to win because we know we have the talent. You’re going to want to come and watch us.”

Front and center are Federico Arroyo and Mike Preis, the team’s best players, presented for interviews at Davila’s request.

Two of the most talented players on the West Coast, Arroyo and Preis combined for 78 points and 28 goals last season.

Arroyo, from Van Nuys High, was selected NCAA Division I independent player of the year. Preis, from Chatsworth, is a member of the U.S. under-23 national team and scored three goals Wednesday in a 5-0 season-opening victory over Vanguard.

“We were very sad that Marwan left, but I’m very happy that we got someone like Terry,” Preis said. “We’re not going to change much or try to do a lot differently.”

The Matadors will try to do what they did down the stretch last season. Northridge won 12 of its last 13 games, including its last six, to finish 12-5.

Nine starters return and optimism abounds.

“I’m very pleased with the way our team is transitioning,” Fitzpatrick said. “Last year we could taste it. We’re going to explode out of the gate this year.”

Don’t expect a change in the style of play, just the style of preparation.

“Practices are a little different, a little more running,” Fitzpatrick said. “Practices are long.”

A look at the region’s other programs:

Cal Lutheran

The Kingsmen are defending champions and favorites for a seventh title since joining the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Assn. in 1991.

Six starters return, including All-SCIAC selections Jose Melgoza and Scott Porter. David Maupin, John Teeter, Graig Sakuma and Andrew Montenegro also return, but several top scorers have left.

Forward Oskar Kantoft, who led the team with 13 goals and 32 points, is petitioning for a fifth year of eligibility.

Cal Lutheran opens the season next Friday at UC Santa Cruz.

The Master’s

Sophomores Nathan Burr from Camarillo High and Doug Matteson from Desert Christian are among 15 returning players for the Mustangs, who were 13-6-3 last season, 7-5-1 in the Far West region.

Forward Anthony Brueggman and midfielder Rusty Brooke, both from Glendale, Ariz., each had 27 points, most among returning players. Midfielder Curtis Lewis had two goals and seven assists as a freshman.

Gone is forward Erik Benitez, who led the Mustangs last season with 28 points.

Top freshmen include forward Pal Andriska from Budapest, Hungary, and midfielder Tim MacConnell from Corona.

Cal State Northridge

Men’s Soccer Schedule

9-5 at CS Sacramento 1 p.m.

9-7 at San Diego 7 p.m.

9-10 vs. Santa Clara* 5 p.m.

9-12 vs. San Francisco* 2 p.m.

9-17 vs. Vanderbilt# 3 p.m.

9-19 vs. Marshall# 9 a.m.

9-22 Azusa Pacific 7 p.m.

9-29 Master’s 7 p.m.

10-3 San Diego St. 4 p.m.

10-8 UCLA 7 p.m.

10-10 at CS Fullerton 2 p.m.

10-15 at UC Irvine 8 p.m.

10-17 at San Diego St. 3 p.m.

10-22 Nevada Las Vegas 7:30 p.m.

10-24 New Mexico 2 p.m.

10-29 at St. Mary’s 3 p.m.

11-4 at UC Santa Barbara 7 p.m.

11-7 Loyola Marymount 4 p.m.

MPSF games in bold

* Diadora Classic at San Francisco

# Vanderbilt tournament

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MEN’S SOCCER

SCHEDULES

Cal Lutheran

*--*

Date Opponent Time 9-10 at UC Santa Cruz 4:30 p.m. 9-12 at CS Monterey 11 a.m. 9-17 Hope International 4 p.m. 9-20 at Chapman 7:30 p.m. 9-22 at Occidental 5 p.m. 9-25 Whittier 1 p.m. 9-29 at La Verne 7 p.m. 10-2 Claremont-Mudd 11 a.m. 10-6 at Redlands 4 p.m. 10-8 Rowan, N.J. 4 p.m. 10-9 Caltech 1 p.m. 10-10 UC San Diego 2:30 p.m. 10-13 at Pomona-Pitzer 4 p.m. 10-16 Occidental 1 p.m. 10-20 at Whittier 7 p.m. 10-23 La Verne 1:30 p.m. 10-27 at Claremont-Mudd 6 p.m. 10-30 Redlands 11 a.m. 11-1 at Caltech 2:30 p.m. 11-3 Pomona-Pitzer 2:30 p.m.

*--*

*

SCIAC games in bold

The Master’s

*--*

Date Opponent Time 9-3 at Grand Canyon 7 p.m. 9-7 at Hope International 4 p.m. 9-9 at Cal Baptist 4 p.m. 9-11 Point Loma 3 p.m. 9-15 Azusa Pacific 3 p.m. 9-18 at Vanguard 7 p.m. 9-21 Westmont 4 p.m. 9-23 at Biola 4 p.m. 9-25 Concordia 1 p.m. 9-29 at Northridge 7 p.m. 10-2 Alumni 2 p.m. 10-7 at We. Washington 7 p.m. 10-9 at Simon Fraser, B.C. 2 p.m. 10-14 Briar Cliff, Ohio 3 p.m. 10-16 at U.S. International 3 p.m. 10-18 at UC San Diego 7 p.m. 10-22 at Chapman 7 p.m.

*--*