Two of the nation’s top 25 teams will square off at University Soccer Stadium Saturday when 23rd-ranked Chico State hosts No. 11 Seattle Pacific University at 7 p.m. The match carries with it early season NCAA Championship Tournament berth implications. It also continues a rich history in what has become one of the best rivalries in West Coast collegiate soccer.

The teams that have combined for 46 NCAA Championship Tournament bids over the past 43 seasons, have met 36 times over those years. The series is tied 17-17-2.

They’re each off to 1-0 starts this season after ending 2011 in similar fashion. They both dropped close matches to Cal State L.A. in the NCAA Championship Tournament: the Wildcats on penalty kicks in the opening round and the Falcons 3-2 in the regional title match.

Seattle Pacific, picked to finish second to 9th-ranked Simon Fraser in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, opened its season with a 4-2 win at Notre Dame de Namur Thursday. The Falcons came from a goal down by tallying three times in the second half.

The Falcons return eight starters from last season’s team that finished 14-4-2, including First Team All-America defender Jon Pearman and honorable mention All-America goalkeeper Zach Johnson.

Chico State opened its season with a 2-1 win against another GNAC squad in Western Washington. The Wildcats, who played just one senior, got goals from Kramer Runager and Luis Martinez and a pair of assists from Octavio Guzman.