It was only 19 days ago, on October 20, that the once rolling Chico State men's soccer team was trailing 1-0 at intermission at Cal State San Marcos and in danger of dropping its fourth straight match. They rallied that day, scoring two second-half goals, and have been rolling again ever since. Thursday night at University Soccer Stadium Mikey Hirsch made history, becoming the 19
th player in the history of the program to score a hat trick, leading the Wildcats to their fourth win in a row, a 4-0 shellacking of visiting Cal State East Bay.
Chico State, which has outscored its opponents 13-0 since the start of that second half at Cal State San Marcos, improved to 11-4-0 overall and 7-4-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the win. Having already clinched a CCAA Tournament berth Wednesday night with Sonoma State's loss against Cal Poly Pomona, the Wildcats took another step toward a possible first-round home match with Thursday's win.
They need another win, in Saturday's regular-season finale against Cal State Monterey Bay, and a Cal State San Bernardino loss at Sonoma State, to earn the No. 4 seed in the CCAA Tournament and get it. The red-hot Wildcats will be playing Cal State San Bernardino in a first-round match next Tuesday either way. '
The Wildcats are also in the hunt for their second straight NCAA Championship Tournament berth, having moved up a spot to No. 10 in this week's NCAA Super Region 4 rankings. Ten teams from the Super Region will earn berths in the upcoming NCAA Championship Tournament and every win helps to improve their resume.
Hirsch's first goal of the season was the match winner in Sunday's 1-0 win against rival Sonoma State. He carried that momentum into Thursday's penultimate match of the regular season.
The senior from Elk Grove gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead just 1:45 into the match, taking a short pass from Jacob Chong, who had dribbled into the right side of the box, and one-timing it past the keeper with his right foot from 16 yards out.
He struck again in the 21
st minute. Justin Bethke set things up this time, working hard to keep a long pass from going out of bounds and then beating a defender before delivering a cross to Hirsch at the top of the six-yard box. Hirsch slid in just in front of the keeper and got his boot on the ball, directing into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.
Chong, who became the 18
th Wildcat to net a hat trick last Wednesday at Stanislaus State, scored his eighth goal of the year in the 57
th minute. He shouldered Anais Mayo's pass from midfield into the air near the top of the 18-yard box, turned and headed the ball down into his own path, and then unleashed a left-footed strike into the far side netting for a 3-0 lead. The assist was the first of Mayo's collegiate career.
Chong nearly scored again five minutes later, instead earning the assist when his header off the turf was parried in front of the goal by the keeper and Hirsch was in position to volley it home with a chest-high, right-footed blast. Alex Fluitt's driving cross from outside the right edge of the 18-yard box set the play in motion.
The Wildcats are now unbeaten in their last 16 matches against Cal State East Bay and 12-0-3 in their last 15 home matches against the Pioneers, who fell to 2-15-0 overall and 0-11-0 in the CCAA with Thursday's loss.
Chico State goalkeeper Jose Paredes only had to make one save Thursday night to earn his third consecutive shutout and sixth of the season. He's the 10
th Chico State goalkeeper to log 11 or more wins in a single season.
The Wildcats finished the evening with an 18-5 advantage in shots, paced by Hirsch's five.
Hirsch and his six senior teammates—Fluitt, Bethke, Joey Scotti, Samuel Licona, Matt Hafizi, and Ronan McEnroe—will be honored prior to Saturday's 11:30 a.m. match during Senior Day ceremonies. Fans are encouraged to come early to celebrate the careers of these seven men who have helped Chico State compile 42 wins, and counting, and earn four consecutive postseason berths over the past four seasons.
