Over the first six weeks of the season the Chico State men's soccer team's schedule has been one of the toughest in the program's history. The Wildcats played 10 of their first 13 on the road, including matches at the top three ranked teams in the West Region.
 
But beginning with Friday's 4:30 p.m. match against UC San Diego and Sunday's 11:30 a.m. showdown with Cal State San Marcos, the Wildcats will wrap up the regular season with four straight at home.
 
That stretch will determine the team's postseason fate.
 
The Wildcats are 5-6-2 overall, 3-4-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), and 2-1-0 at home.
 
Chico State in ninth place in the conference standings with 10 points. But the Wildcats have played fewer conference games than five of the teams they're chasing.
 
Their best chance to ascend into the CCAA's top six, and earn a postseason berth that comes with it, might be to catch UC San Diego and Cal State Monterey Bay. Both teams will visit Chico before the season is through.
 
The Wildcats trail UC San Diego by five points and Cal State Monterey Bay by two. But UC San Diego has just two conference matches remaining (Wednesday vs. Cal State San Marcos and Friday in Chico) and Cal State Monterey Bay three.
 
In essence, the Wildcats control their own fate. But every remaining match is huge.

CCAA STANDINGS