Women's Soccer | 10/29/2014 6:54:00 PM

Today's NCAA Championship Regional rankings announcement, which saw the Chico State women's soccer team drop two spots to No. 9, made one thing exceedingly clear: If the Wildcats are going to earn an NCAA Championship Tournament berth, they're going to have to go through some strong California Collegiate Athletic Association teams to get there.
 
That quest begins Thursday night in the Wildcats' regular-season finale against West No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino at 7 p.m. at University Soccer Stadium.
 
Chico State, the third team listed among "others receiving votes" in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Top-25, enters the match 10-4-2 overall and in second place in the CCAA at 7-2-1. Cal State San Bernardino, ranked No. 21 in the nation, is 14-3 overall and 7-3 in the CCAA. 
 

The Coyotes have won five straight since a three-match losing skid early in the conference schedule.
 
The Wildcats have also been great of late. They've won four straight and they're 6-1-1 in their last eight. They've logged four straight shutouts and haven't surrendered a goal in their last seven-plus hours on the pitch.
 
CCAA Championship Tournament positioning will also be at stake Thursday. The Wildcats will earn a bye into the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals next Friday, Nov. 7, in Turlock with a win, or with a tie coupled with a Cal Poly Pomona loss to Cal State L.A.
 
If they lose, or if they tie and Cal Poly Pomona wins, the Wildcats will host a first-round CCAA Championship Tournament match Sunday, tentatively at 1 p.m., against a team still to be determined.
 
West Region No. 2 Cal State L.A. has already earned the CCAA Championship top seed and a bye into the semifinals. West No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino and West No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona are still duking it out with the Wildcats in the race for the No. 2 seed and other bye. West No. 5 Cal State Stanislaus trails West No. 10 UC San Diego by a point and West No. 6 Sonoma State by two points in the race for the sixth and final CCAA Championship Tournament berth.

CCAA STANDINGS

NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS