The Chico State women's soccer team's third straight shutout win lifted the Wildcats into second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with two matches to play.
 
Pooja Patel provided an early lead with a gorgeous 4^th-minute goal, Lindsay Dias delivered some cushion with a 77^th-minute strike, and Brianna Furner made seven saves as Chico State beat San Francisco State 2-0 Friday night at University Soccer Stadium.
 
Chico State is now 9-4-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. With 19 points (teams received three points for each win and one point for each tie), the Wildcats now lead three teams by a single point in the race for second place and the first-round bye in the CCAA Championship Tournament that comes with it.
 
The Wildcats host Cal State Monterey Bay Sunday at 11:30, which is also Senior Day. Furner and fellow seniors Megan Tabler, Stephanie Vaquerano, Torri Sims and Halima Abdelshife will be honored in a ceremony prior to the match. They host Cal State San Bernardino – one of the three teams tied for third – in the regular season finale Thursday night at 7.
 
A win or tie in either of those final two matches, or a loss or tie by UC San Diego or Cal State Stanislaus, will clinch a postseason berth for the Wildcats for the seventh time in the

past 11 seasons.
 
Patel, a true freshman quickly blossoming into one of the conference's premiere players, gave the Wildcats the lead for good just 3:11 into the match. She took a Cassi Scroggins pass in the middle of the pitch about 30 yards out, dribbled around a defender, and curled a right-footed shot into the far post upper-V from 20 yards.
 
The Livermore High School product has provided two goals and two assists in the past five matches as the team's target midfielder.
 
Dias delivered the back-breaker in the later stages of the second half. Stephanie Vaquerano played a perfect pass over the top and Dias outran San Francisco State's high-pressing defense to the ball and chipped it over the charging goalkeeper for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
 
In between, Furner made a bevy of strong saves to keep the Wildcats in the lead. Furner now has 37 career victories, just three shy of Kari Gonzalez's school record.