A win Friday gives them that chance and likely solidifies NCAA Championship berth
Two nights in Turlock never sounded so sweet. If the Chico State men’s soccer team gets a positive result against Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday, the Wildcats will spend two more nights at a Turlock hotel with visions of victory and hopes of making history hovering in their heads. If they lose, they’ll head back home and anxiously await the numbers and notions of a committee on a phone call still days away.
This game is that big.
The Wildcats, seeded No. 2 in the four-team California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament, face the fourth-seeded Toros at Warrior Stadium on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus 1:30 p.m. Chico State is 13-5 overall and currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA West Region rankings. Cal State Dominguez Hills (13-4-2) is ranked No. 4.
Cal State San Bernardino, ranked No. 1 in the West and seeded No. 1 in the CCAA Championship Tournament, faces West No. 6 Sonoma State to open the tournament Friday at 11 a.m. The top four teams in the final West Region rankings, which will be announced Monday at 4 p.m. via a webcast selection show at www.NCAA.com <http://www.NCAA.com> , will advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Friday’s winners will face off for the CCAA crown Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
A win by the CCAA North Division champion Wildcats Friday would not only give them a crack at the CCAA title, but it would also almost assuredly lock up their spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament. However, if they leave the field with a loss, they may not have the chance to play again until next season if the committee decides to leave them out.
Freshly minted CCAA Offensive Player of the Year and CCAA Newcomer of the Year Ferid Celosmanovic and fellow First Team All-CCAA choice Chris Akwaja plan to keep the decision out of the hands of the committee. Celosmanovic led the CCAA with 12 goals this season, while Akwaja was perhaps the conference’s hottest player down the stretch, scoring five times against the Wildcats final five foes. His nine goals overall were the fifth most in the conference.
Midfielders Tyson Crim and Zach Bradford joined that high-scoring duo on the All-CCAA team, which was announced Thursday evening, as Honorable Mention selections. Crim led the Wildcats with six assists and Bradford was its leader on the field from his center midfield position.
Meanwhile, Chico State’s defense held opponents to one goal or fewer on 15 of 18 occasions. They’ll need similar efforts on offense and defense this weekend to earn the second CCAA title in the program’s history.
The Wildcats won their only CCAA title in 2003 on the way to the NCAA Championship Tournament final. They beat the Toros in the regional title game that year thanks to two goals in the final six minutes, including Chris Wondolowski’s game winner with 24 seconds remaining in regulation.
They advanced to the Championship Tournament in each of their first two seasons in the conference (1998 and 1999), but fell to Grand Canyon in the first round each time. Their only other berth in the tournament came in Head Coach Felipe Restrepo’s first season, 2008. They faced the Toros, who were ranked No. 4 in the nation at the time and went on to win a National Championship, and advanced on penalty kicks.
The Toros, who have reached the national finals each of the last two seasons, enter postseason play having won their final three matches (including a crucial 1-0 victory over South Division champion Cal State San Bernardino Sunday), outscoring their opponents 10-0 during that stretch.
Chico State won the only meeting between the two teams this season, beating Dominguez Hills 3-1 on Oct. 1 at University Soccer Stadium.
Win number two and the Wildcats will be basking in the twinkling lights of Turlock for two glorious nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment