SF State men’s soccer looks to make a jump from their sixth-place CCAA standing when they host the No. 23 ranked Cal State San Marcos Cougars this Friday at Cox Stadium.

This key CCAA battle can vault the Gators higher in the standings, as well as possibly garner national attention from playing their second nationally-ranked team this season.

Down one point from the Gators in the CCAA standings, the Cougars also need a win in this matchup to seperate themselves in this tight race to the postseason.

After going four straight games without scoring more than a single goal, the SF State offense found its groove, netting three goals in last Sunday’s contest against Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“Once we get that confidence going, we’re going to start scoring goals,” said senior defender and team captain Ayden Bowers after the match against CSUDH. “I thought they had really good confidence today and they connected well, and as you see, we got the results today.”

When the offense is clicking, the Gators look like a formidable unit. SF State defense has been imposing all season long, not allowing more than two goals in any game so far.

The Gators will need to be firing on all cylinders when they battle for playoff positioning against Cal State San Marcos Friday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.