Despite sporting a 2-1-1 record after facing some of the top teams in the West to start the season, the Chico State men’s soccer team has dropped out of the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) national Top 25. Seeing how the Wildcats can get back in is simple. The task of actually making it happen – by recording strong results on the road against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. this weekend – is a tougher task.

Two wins would almost certainly get the Wildcats back into the national poll picture, since those two wins would be against top-25 teams. The Wildcats face 23rd-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills (3-0-1) Friday at 7 PM and 10th-ranked Cal State L.A. (3-0-1) Sunday at 11:30 AM.

The Wildcats, who are playing seven of their first eight games of the season, are ranked No. 7 in the West. They’re coming off a 2-0 victory at No. 8 Cal State Stanislaus, and they also have a tie at 10th-ranked Seattle Pacific on their resume. The Wildcats also beat Western Washington and lost to sixth-ranked Sonoma State.

Cal State L.A. is ranked No. 1 in the West and Cal State Dominguez Hills No. 3. The Golden Eagles and Toros (each 1-0-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association) played to a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Chico State is 1-1-0 in the CCAA.

Cal State L.A. is tied for the conference lead in goals per game at 2.75 behind Rosario Bras’ three goals, and leads the CCAA in goals allowed per game at 0.25. The goal the Golden Eagles gave up against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday was the first they had allowed all season. Cal State Dominguez Hills has tallied eight times, led by Jordan Rover with three, and allowed three goals.

Chico State’s Ferid Celosmanovic is tied with Bras and Rover for second in the CCAA with three goals. But the Wildcats are hoping to get scoring contributions from other players as well. Freshman Octavio Guzman’s penalty kick is the team’s only other score this season for the Wildcats, who have outscored their opposition just 4-3.

The Wildcats split a pair of matches with Cal State Dominguez Hills last season, winning at home 3-1 behind two goals from Celosmanovic and a goal and assist from Crim, and losing 3-0 in the opening round of the CCAA Championship Tournament. The Wildcats lost to Cal State L.A. 1-0 in overtime.

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