In a strange twist, the Chico State men’s soccer team is currently in position to play in the NCAA Championship Tournament, but wouldn’t qualify for its conference championship tournament if it started today. These things have a way of working themselves out, however. And with four regular season matches still remaining on the Wildcats’ schedule, chances are they will.
The last two regular season home matches on that schedule take place this weekend. Cal State East Bay will be in town for “Pack The House Night” Friday at 7. Cal State Monterey Bay will visit Sunday, and seniors Jacob Darr, Nick Tedrow, Ryan Struckmeyer, Chris Akwaja and Ferid Celosmanovic will be honored before the match.
As stated above, the good news is that the defending NCAA West Region champion Wildcats are in position to defend that title. With a record of 8-3-3, they’re ranked No. 2 in Wednesday’s inaugural 2011 NCAA West Region rankings. The top four in those rankings following the completion of conference championship tournaments will advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Those berths would be announced during the Nov. 7 Division II Men’s Soccer Selection Show at 4 p.m.
Seattle Pacific, which the Wildcats tied 0-0 in their season opener in Seattle, is ranked No. 1. Cal State Dominguez Hills (which Chico State beat 5-0), is
No. 3, followed by No. 4 Grand Canyon (which Chico State beat 2-1 for last season’s West Region title), No. 5 Cal State L.A. (which Chico State tied 2-2), No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona (which Chico State beat 1-0 last Friday), No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (which Chico State beat 2-0 and tied 0-0) and No. 8 Sonoma State (which beat Chico State 2-0).
With such a tightly grouped pack of teams on their heels, the Wildcats will need to keep playing strong soccer in order to get back to the NCAA Championship Tournament. That could also net them a berth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament. With a CCAA record of 7-3-2, the Wildcats trail Sonoma State by two points in the race for the CCAA North Division title. (Teams receive three points for each win and one for each tie.) Those teams could be playing for the division title when they meet in the regular season finale in Rohnert Park on Oct. 30.
Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona are tied atop the South Division standings with 25 points apiece.
The winners of each division earn automatic berths into the CCAA Championship Tournament scheduled for Nov. 4-6 in Turlock. The two teams with the next highest point totals, regardless of division, will be there as well. Chico State and Cal State L.A. are currently tied for the second “wild card” berth, though the Golden Eagles currently hold the goal differential tiebreaker (+11 to +9).
Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus (19 points apiece) are still hoping to make a postseason push as well. The Otters, who will play at Cal State Stanislaus Friday, beat Chico State 2-1 earlier this season in Seaside. The Wildcats got a 55th-minute goal from Ferid Celosmanovic but couldn’t complete the comeback after falling behind 2-0. The Otters (6-6-1 overall and 6-5-1 in the CCAA) will be desperate to repeat the feat on Sunday.
The Wildcats also played a tight match at Cal State East Bay two days later, but rode Octavio Guzman’s 67th-minute penalty kick to victory. Sam Evans recorded the shutout in goal, needing to make just one save to do so. The Pioneers enter Friday’s match 2-12-0 overall and 1-11-0 in the CCAA.
Matches like that have come to define the Wildcats’ season thus far. They rank eighth in the nation in shutout percentage with eight in 14 matches, and 16th in the nation in goals-against-average, having allowed only 11 goals.
The Wildcats will put a bow on the regular season with matches at Humboldt State on Friday, Oct. 28, and then Sonoma State on Sunday, Oct. 30.
CURRENT NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS
CURRENT CCAA STANDINGS
