Wildcats earn CCAA tourney¹s No. 2 seed, face Dominguez Hills Friday

WALNUT CREEK  The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division champion Chico State men¹s soccer team are primed and ready for postseason play, and head into this week¹s conference tournament with the No. 2 seed in the four-team field. The ¹Cats will take on No. 4 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament, taking place at Warrior Stadium on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus.

Chico State, 13-5 on the year, enter the postseason ranked 13th in the nation and No. 2 in the West Region. The Wildcats split their final regular season matches, beating Stanislaus State 2-1 last Wednesday at University Soccer Stadium before falling to the Warriors 1-0 Saturday night in Turlock. This marks the second time in three years that Head Coach Felipe Restrepo has led Chico State to a CCAA Championship Tournament appearance. Ironically, it was Cal State Dominguez Hills that won a 5-3 sudden death shootout to knock the Wildcats out of the 2008 conference tournament.

Dominguez Hills finished the 2010 regular season 13-4-2 overall and in second place in the CCAA South Division with a 10-4-2 mark. The Toros, the 2008 NCAA champions who have reached the national finals each of the last two seasons, enter postseason play having won their final three matches (including a big 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 Oct. 1 at University Soccer Stadium.

Friday¹s other CCAA Championship Tournament first round match pits South Division champ and top seed Cal State San Bernardino (13-4-1, 11-4-1) against No. 3 Sonoma State (12-5-1, 10-5-1). The Coyotes and Seawolves will play the day¹s opening match at 11 a.m. The two first round winners will meet Sunday at 11:30 a.m. to battle for the conference championship.