CARSON - After missing the entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's soccer team announced its return to the pitch and released its 2021 schedule on Thursday. The slate includes 17 regular season games, seven of which are at home.
 
In their non-conference tab, the Toros will face five PacWest Conference opponents, four on the road and one at home, and one California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival. CSUDH will begin its regular season with two road matchups at Point Loma and Biola. The Toros will host Concordia Irvine for its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. with the women's team slated to go before, also against Concordia Irvine.
 
CSUDH will then travel to the San Francisco Bay Area the following week for two road games against Dominican and Holy Names. Before starting conference play, the Toros will face Cal State Monterey Bay in a non-conference game against a conference opponent matchup on Sept. 25. All Toro fall teams will converge in Seaside that day, as the women's soccer and volleyball teams also have contests against the Otters.
 
CSUDH will open CCAA play on the road at Cal State East Bay on Friday, Oct. 1. The conference home opener for the Toros will be on Friday, Oct. 8 against Humboldt State.
 
CSUDH will host Cal State LA on Friday, Oct. 22 in another chapter of the crosstown rivalry against the school just north off the 710 freeway. The Golden Eagles will be a team to watch this season as they were just shy of winning the it all in 2019, losing to Charleston in the national title game. Because the 2020 men's soccer season was cancelled, Cal State LA will continue to be recognized as the defending conference champion and national runners-up. 
 
The most likely anticipated game for fans will be Sunday, Oct. 24 against Cal Poly Pomona as CSUDH will play its annual game at the main stadium of Dignity Health Sports Park. The Toros are 4-1 in their last five games at the home field of the LA Galaxy and US National Team. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
The top six teams in the conference will qualify for the 2021 CCAA Tournament with the first two seeds earning first-round byes. The tournament wills start on Nov. 7 at campus sites before moving to Cal Poly LA's Jesse Owens Track on Nov. 12 and 14 for the semifinals and finals, respectively.
 
Head coach Eddie Soto returns for his third season at the helm. He brings back 14 letterwinners including All-CCAA honoree Christian Djurasevic and Roberto Rivera, who led the team in minutes in 2019.
 
Any home game and at any CCAA member, can be watched on the CCAA Network, the official live streaming platform for both the CCAA and Cal State Dominguez Hills.