WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State won its home opener on Thursday night, 3-1, over Southern Nazarene and now prepares for another non-conference clash at Stang Park as Cal Poly Pomona visits for a Saturday night tussle at 7 p.m.

Midwestern State (3-0-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first half on Cooper Tea's first goal of the season in the 19th minute, and Jose Ortiz broke a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal of the season in the 60th season. Alan Rivera scored on a penalty kick in the 84th minute to seal the victory over the Crimson Storm.

Midwestern State has the second-most goals scored in NCAA Division II, outscoring opponents 17-5. The plus-12 goal differential is fifth best.  The Mustangs are tied for fourth in the nation with 3.4 goals per game and fifth in the country with 9.6 points per game. MSU is seventh in the nation with 2.8 assists per game.

Ortiz is tied for the lead with three other players in NCAA D2 that have scored six goals this season. The senior from transfer from SMU is fourth in the nation with and leading the LSC with 12 points. Lawrence Doe, Jr. and Juan David Valencia Vacca have each scored twice for the Mustangs.  Seven other players have scored once for MSU this season.

Tea is sixth in the nation and leads the LSC with three assists. Ethan Krchnak, Davis Mays and Oscar Nunez all have two assists for the Stangs. Five other players have recorded one assist. Valencia has two goals and one assist, while Rivera and Victor Hernandez each have a goal and an assist. Eduardo Cerna and Tanner Tea have also added assists for the Mustangs.

Michael Meachum boasts a record of 125-25-17 as the head coach at Midwestern State and led the Mustangs to their first-ever national championship last season.

Midwestern State and Cal Poly Pomona (2-1-2) are meeting for the fourth time. The three matchups all took place at Stang Park. but this is the first time the programs have clashed in the regular season. MSU is 1-1-1 in its three previous encounters with the Broncos, who advanced to the NCAA Final Four on PKs in the 2017 NCAA Division II quarterfinals at Stang Park after playing to a 1-1 draw.

Cal Poly Pomona returned to Wichita Falls in 2021 and defeated the Mustangs, 1-0, in the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship. In 2024, Midwestern State eliminated the Broncos with a 3-0 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship.

The Broncos are coming off a 1-1 draw against St. Edward's in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night. Nico Sanchez scored his first goal of the year in the 60th minute after the Hilltopper took the lead in the 57th minute.  Goalkeeper Jack Chapman made five saves, including four in the final 20 minutes at Lewis-Chen Family Field. 

Cal Poly Pomona is 0-1-2 on the road, including a draw at Vanguard to begin a four-game road trip that concludes with its conference opener at Cal State LA on Sept. 18. 

The Broncos were picked to finish third in the n the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Preseason Poll.

Head coach Matt O'Sullivan, the winningest coach in Cal Poly Pomona history and 2024 CCAA Coach of the Year, is in his seventh season at the helm. The Broncos have made the NCAA Tournament in five of his six years and look to return to the big stage after an eighth-place conference finish in 2025.

O'Sullivan is 73-24-32 (.690) as the Broncos head coach but finished last season with a 7-6-5 record. 

The Broncos have outscored opponents this season, 6-5, and Marvin Gamez has scored three goals, including two in a season-opening 2-0 win over Biola at Kellogg Stadium. Ethan Fisher, Jacob Ramirez and Sanchez have all scored one goal for Cal Poly Pomona this season.

Gamez leads the team with seven points. Fisher has a goal and an assist, while Jose Garcia, Andres Gutierrez and Efren Nunez Dominguez each have an assist for the Broncos.

Chapman, a senior goalkeeper from Phoenix, has played all 450 minutes and recorded 14 saves in five matches. He has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .737 save percentage.

Midwestern State wraps up non-conference play next week with two games in Salem, Oregon, facing Western Oregon on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday at Pioneer Sports Park. The next home game is a noon tilt with Texas A&M International on Sept. 26.