CARSON, Calif. – Texas A&M International University men's soccer continued its unbeaten start to the season Friday, earning a 3-2 road victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills at Toro Stadium.
The Dustdevils improved to 3-0-1 on the season behind goals from Rafael Zaic, Jaime Martinez and Kamal Zulfiyev. TAMIU and CSUDH entered halftime tied at 1-1 before the Dustdevils struck twice in the second half to secure the victory.
TAMIU opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Zaic found the back of the net off an assist from Jorge Delgado, giving the Dustdevils a 1-0 advantage. The Toros responded less than three minutes later as Jose Peredia scored in the 38th minute to send the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
The Dustdevils wasted little time regaining the lead after the break. Martinez scored unassisted in the 53rd minute to put TAMIU ahead 2-1. Cal State Dominguez Hills answered again in the 63rd minute when Juan Calderon converted a penalty kick, tying the match at 2-2.
TAMIU delivered the decisive blow in the 74th minute. Zulfiyev scored off an assist from Heiko Droemer to give the Dustdevils their third lead of the night, this time at 3-2.
The Toros applied pressure down the stretch, but goalkeeper Nicklas Berg-Eriksen and the TAMIU defense held firm. Berg-Eriksen made five saves over the full 90 minutes, including two saves shortly after Zulfiyev's go-ahead goal.
Cal State Dominguez Hills finished with an 11-9 advantage in shots and an 8-2 edge in corner kicks, while TAMIU put five of its nine shots on goal. Zaic, Martinez and Zulfiyev each scored on their lone shot on goal, while Delgado and Droemer recorded assists.
With the victory, the Dustdevils remain unbeaten through their first four matches of the 2026 season at 3-0-1.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Kamal Zulfiyev delivered when the Dustdevils needed it most, scoring the game-winning goal in the 74th minute to lift TAMIU to a 3-2 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills. Zulfiyev finished with a team-high three shots and scored his decisive goal off an assist from Heiko Droemer, helping TAMIU remain unbeaten at 3-0-1.
Zulfiyev is a freshman forward for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Petroleum Engineering. A native of Saray, Azerbaijan, Kamal is the son of Vugar and Ellada Zulfiyev and was born on January 14, 2009.
