CARSON, California—Damion Lewis's latest spectacular effort may have been his best yet as a Wildcat. The junior goalkeeper, among the favorites for California Collegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year honors, made a career-high nine saves in the Chico State men's soccer team's scoreless draw at Cal State Dominguez Hills Thursday night.
The Wildcats are just the third team this season to leave Carson with a result and remain unbeaten on the road (5-0-2) with just one regular-season match remaining on the schedule, Saturday at Cal State LA.
Ranked No. 5 in the West Region entering the match, Chico State is now 10-4-2 overall and 8-1-2 in the CCAA. Cal State Dominguez Hills, No. 8 in the West, is 11-4-2 overall and 8-2-1 in conference play.
The Wildcats have now played 11 matches against teams with a record of .500 or better—and boast a 6-3-2 record in those matches—and faced five of the seven teams ranked with them in the region.
Though the draw knocked the Wildcats off the top of the CCAA table, the Wildcats are still very much alive in the race for the title. A Cal Poly Pomona loss or draw Friday versus Cal State San Bernardino, coupled with a Chico State victory Saturday, would net the Wildcats their first conference title since 2003 and second CCAA crown since joining the conference.
Either way, the Wildcats will also be playing for a first-round bye Sunday. A win would lock that up. A tie would get the job done only if UC San Diego loses or draws at Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills loses or draws with Stanislaus State.
The shutout was Chico State's eighth in the 11 CCAA matches. They have all been credited to Lewis, who lowered his goals-against average in conference play to 0.432 and raised in save percentage to .891. Both marks lead the conference.
His career shutout total of 13 is tied for fifth in Chico State history, and his eight this season are tied for the eighth most in a single season.
Chico State played a man down the last 21-plus minutes after Carter Johnson was cautioned for the second time, resulting in a red card.
The final CCAA men's soccer match day begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
