The Chico State men’s soccer team wrapped up the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division title with a delightful 2-1 victory against Cal State Stanislaus Wednesday in Chico. But don’t believe that Saturday night’s rematch against the Warriors in Turlock doesn’t carry the same amount of importance. Vital West Region rankings and CCAA Championship Tournament seeding will be on the line for the Wildcats, while Cal State Stanislaus’ playoff dreams could be hanging in the balance as well. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
With all that’s on the line, Chico State Head Coach Felipe Restrepo has got to be giddy about having his supremely talented scoring duo of Ferid Celosmanovic and Chris Akwaja on the pitch. The junior pair has scored a combined 21 goals this season – the most by any duo in the CCAA – including nine in the past five games. Celosmanovic leads the CCAA in scoring with a dozen jaw-droppers. And Akwaja’s arguably the hottest player in the CCAA right now with five scores in the past four games, including at least one in each of them.
Sophomore midfielder Tyson Crim has set the duo up, assisting on four of those nine goals. He’s totaled a team-high six setups on the season.
Juxtaposed against the Wildcats’ awe-inspiring offense has been its gritty defense. The Wildcats have allowed more than one goal in a match just three times this season and just 16 in 17 games.
All of that has added up to the No. 13 ranking in the nation, No. 2 ranking in the West Region, the CCAA North Division title, and an overall record of 13-4-0 and CCAA mark of 11-4-0. Those 13 overall victories match the 1992, 1998, and 2008 Wildcats for the second most in the program since 1989. Only the 2003 National Finalist Wildcats won more in a season (21) during that period. And the Wildcats’ 11 conference victories match the 1998 team for the second most in school history behind only the 1992 team’s 12.
The Wildcats have a chance to match that record Saturday. With a little help from their “friends” at Cal State L.A. or Cal State Dominguez Hills this weekend, they’ll also have a chance to clinch the top seed in the CCAA Championship Tournament. The first round will be played Friday, Nov. 5 and the title game, in which the 2010 CCAA Champion will be crowned, is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7.
Chico State will earn the top seed if:
1. It wins Saturday and Cal State San Bernardino loses or ties one of its last two games.
2. It ties Saturday and Cal State San Bernardino does not win either of its last two games.
3. It loses Saturday and Cal State San Bernardino earns no more than one tie in its final two contests.
Also to be finalized over the next two weekends are the four berths that come out of the West Region for the upcoming NCAA Championship Tournament. The Wildcats currently trail only No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino in those rankings, while No. 3 Grand Canyon, No. 4s Notre Dame de Namur and Sonoma State, and No. 6 Cal State Stanislaus are some of the other teams eyeing a spot. The team that receives the top seed has the first right to host the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional on Nov. 12-14, assuming they have filled out the bidding paperwork.
The complete NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship Bracket will be released on Monday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m., PDT, on www.ncaa.com.
Cal State Stanislaus would almost certainly need to find a way into the CCAA Championship Tournament to give the committee a reason to place them in the discussion for one of the four NCAA Tournament spots. The Warriors will know late Friday night if a result Saturday could get them in.
Cal State Stanislaus will still be in the hunt for a spot in the CCAA Championship Tournament heading into Saturday’s match if two of the following occur Friday:
1. San Francisco State wins or ties at home against Sonoma State.
2. Cal State San Bernardino wins or ties at Cal State L.A.
3. Cal Poly Pomona wins at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
