The first third of the regular season was a thrill. The second third landed with a thud. If the Chico State men's soccer team has designs on playing beyond the regular season, the final third will need to look a lot like the first.
 
That quest begins this weekend when the Wildcats host Cal State East Bay Friday night at 7 p.m. Ten 10 fans will walk away winners on Jack In The Box Pack The House Night, taking home $10 cash cards to Jack in the Box.
 
The Wildcats, 6-5-1 overall but only 1-5-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), will hit the road to play at Cal State Stanislaus Sunday at 2 p.m. before returning home for their final three regular-season matches.
 
Chico State opened the season 5-0-1 and rose all the way to the No. 5 ranking in the nation. Included in that stretch was a 1-1 draw against Seattle Pacific, which is now ranked No. 4 in the nation. 
 
The Wildcats have dropped five of six since. They played the top five teams in the conference standings and six of the top seven in the process, including one-goal losses against 20^th-ranked Cal State L.A. and 8^th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona.
 
Chico State is currently in 11^th place in the CCAA, but only five points behind sixth-place Cal State Stanislaus. The top six teams at the end of the conference schedule will advance to the CCAA Championship Tournament, an event the Wildcats have been a part of in each of the past four seasons.