By Jeremiah Rojas, Co-Managing Editor
The 2024-2025 soccer season didn’t play out as the Toro men’s team had hoped. Although the program claimed its eighth CCAA Championship last month, the squad fell to the CSULA Golden Eagles on Nov. 24, in the second round of the NCAA Div. II Championship tournament. Despite the abrupt end to their playoff run, several Toros walked away with CCAA honors.
McKibbin receives top honors
Senior Michael McKibbin was named “Overall Player of the Year” and “Forward of the Year.” McKibbin began the year at midfield, but switched to forward as the season progressed. McKibbin credited his teammates with helping him make the transition smoothly.
“Once I made that switch, I think my teammates did a good job of putting me in those areas to get all those stats,” McKibbin said. “I mean, it’s an individual award, but you can’t get it without your teammates.
Men’s head coach Eddie Soto told The Bulletin the hard work paid off for everyone this season, but especially McKibbin.
“[McKibbin] is our leading goal scorer – he’s the league’s leading goal scorer,” Soto said. “[Forward] is a position that I played, so I’m really hard on him when it comes to what he’s doing … Yeah, he’s been very consistent all year – he’s sharp right, very sharp.”
McKibbin started playing soccer at the age of four in his hometown of Torrance. Although he doesn’t recall what drew him to the sport, specifically, he does remember kicking balls around the house – his father registered him to play in youth leagues sometime after.
“I’d always go watch [LA Galaxy] games as a kid,” McKibbin said. “You always want to be like them so those guys – Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan – I always enjoyed watching.”
Fueled by a competitive spirit, McKibbin became a standout on the pitch. He said the team’s success this year was a result of their good chemistry, which was evident early on in the season.
“I think the summer is a good time to spend time with each other away from the coaching staff and all that just on our own,” McKibbin said. “Honestly, I think it’s all about chemistry – the more you work together, the better off you’ll be.”
Brothers on the pitch
Toro men’s forward Gavin Brummer earned “Freshman of the Year” honors. He echoed McKibbin’s perspective, calling the team a “brotherhood.”
“We’re a team of faith, we’re a team of believers, and so that carries us a lot farther than anything else could,” Brummer said.
That sense of togetherness made the CCAA Championship win against Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 17 even more special. McKibbin said the victory surpassed the championship win during his sophomore year.
“[Winning] this time was definitely a little sweeter because maybe the expectations weren’t as high,” McKibbin said. “We got to enjoy that and we won the conference tournament. That’s probably the high of all four years.”
Junior midfielder Christian Briseño said he and McKibbin formed a strong bond during the season. The duo often spent a lot of time talking about their business ideas, he said.
“[McKibbin] is very dynamic, very skillful … when he’s in front of the goal, he doesn’t really complicate his finishing,” Briseño said. “I feel like that’s what we need in the team – someone to bury the balls in the net and he’s done that. The goals speak for themselves.”
Building toward the future
As McKibbin and other seniors wrap up their collegiate careers at CSUDH, the Toro men’s squad will look to its younger players to continue the success earned this season. McKibbin is confident that when the time comes, his teammates will prove their mettle on the pitch.
“I didn’t score in either game, we just played in the tournament, but we still won both of them,” McKibbin said. “We got plenty of good guys on our team that can step up. Maybe they don’t get the recognition they deserve, which is unfortunate, but it’s all good. [The team’s praise] is still good to hear.”
McKibbin will graduate this spring with a degree in film, television, and media. Although he doesn’t quite know what he will do after graduation, he said the success achieved this season could help to keep some options open.
“You always want to continue playing if you can,” McKibbin said. “Obviously, being recognized individually helps … the further we go [into the tournament] the more chance I have of continuing to play soccer. If not, you know, I’ve been studying film, so maybe something there could happen – so yeah, I’m not too worried about it.”
