AZUSA—The fighting spirit of the Chico State men's soccer team was on full display in Thursday night's NCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Championship West Regional. But in the end, 18^th-ranked Cal State LA advanced with a 2-1 victory on a windy night at the Cougar Soccer Complex on the campus of Azusa Pacific.
 
The Wildcats fell behind 2-0 before mounting a furious rally. Garrett Hogbin headed home Alex Fluitt's corner kick with 3:01 remaining to cut the lead in half, but the clock ran out before Chico State could nab the equalizer.
 
The Wildcats' season ended at 13-6-2. Cal State LA improves to 15-2-3.
 
"We kept pushing and finally got one but we just kind of ran out of time," said Wildcats Head Coach Felipe Restrepo. "The seniors were proud. They were upset. But they made the NCAA Tournament. They were dominant at times and they broke some records. I'm extremely proud of this group."
 
Morten Bjoershol scored on a 30-yard free kick with less than eight minutes left in the first half to give Cal State LA a 1-0 halftime lead, and Robin Lindahl scored his team-leading 12th goal of the year in the 74th minute to extend the lead to 2-0. 

 
The win was Cal State LA's third against Chico State this season and sixth straight overall. All six have come via one-goal margins, including two in overtime.
 
"I always feel like we have a great game plan against LA. The games are tight and it always comes down to these little plays," said Restrepo. "We played it a little bit differently today but we get the same result. It's frustrating, but I'm also really proud of this group and wouldn't trade them for anybody."
 
The match marked the final time in a Chico State uniform for nine Wildcats—Luke Dennison, Esten Schroeder, Jeremiah Egujie, Fabian Roman, Coby Cueva, Ryan Caro, Damion Lewis, Nick Lopez, and Joshua Belda. But they have left a lasting legacy.
 
"The season is a testament to their leadership. They were incredible leaders this year," said Restrepo. "They put the team on their back and they really pushed the group. I will always remember this senior class for that, and how hard they play."
 
They set the tone and it was there for all to see game in and game out.
 
"This is an emotional fiery group and they had a hell of a season. They did it on their spirit, tenacity, and grit," said Restrepo. "As a coach you try to recruit that and you try to teach it, but at the end of the day it's what the kids are made of. The brought that to the table. The work ethic and team comradery was fun to be a part of. They won games on pure will and those are fun teams to have."
 
"There's some great talent there, too," Restrepo added.
 
Only three Chico State teams in the past 28 seasons have won more matches than the Wildcats did in 2018.
 
The Wildcats walked out of the stadium disappointed Thursday night, but also, rightly, with a real sense of pride.