LOS ANGELES—The Chico State men's soccer team absorbed its first loss of 2019 in a battle of unbeatens Sunday. However, despite falling 1-0 at 7^th-ranked Cal State LA, the Wildcats continued to assert their standing as one of the nation's top teams with another impressive showing.
 
The host Golden Eagles had dominated their previous six opponents, outscoring them 19-3, out-shooting them 102-36, and enjoying advantages of 51-11 in shots on goal and 29-10 in corner kicks. They had also scored at least two goals in each of its first six matches and racked up at least 12 shots and at least six shots on goal each time out.
 
Not Sunday. The Wildcats out-shot the Golden Eagles, limited them to only one shot on goal, and enjoyed a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
 
But for one defensive mistake and/or a couple near misses on the offensive end, the result could have been very different.
 
Instead, Chico State slipped to 5-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State LA improved to 7-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in the CCAA.
 
The Golden Eagles' one-goal victory against the Wildcats was thanks to David Elizaga's match winner in the 11^th minute.
 
Elizaga intercepted an unforced back pass 10 yards inside the midfield stripe, sparking a two-on-two break. He dribbled directly toward goal before rolling a perfectly-placed shot just inside the left post and just out of reach of Wildcats' goalkeeper Jose Paredes from 20 yards out.
 
The goal snapped Chico State's three-match unscored upon streak and turned out to be the only shot on goal the Wildcats allowed all day.
 
Cal State LA's defense was equally stout, allowing the Wildcats only four solid scoring chances all day. Cooper Renteria's dangerous try from 12 yards out sailed wide of the far post in the 5^th minute. Mikey Hirsch's attempted volley inside the six-yard box was deflected up and over the bar in the 29^th minute. Jacob Chong was in position to strike from the top of the six-yard box in the 76^th minute, but a defender got to the ball a blink before him and desperately cleared it just wide of the right post. Chong had another great opportunity in the 79^th minute when Servando Higuera hit him with a perfect pass into the box. Chong overpowered the last defender and attempted to beat the keeper near post from the top-left corner of the six-yard box, but the ball slammed into the side netting just outside the post.
 
The Wildcats will hit the road against next weekend for matches at Humboldt State and San Francisco State. After that, they will play five of their final eight CCAA matches at home.