Donovan Jackson and Luis Albarran have been beloved by their teammates throughout their time in the Chico State men's soccer program. Jackson joined the team in 2017. Albarran followed in 2018. Through unprecedented challenges and changes in playing time, they have remained loyal, displaying the leadership the team needed for each situation.
 
Saturday, they walked to midfield with their families to be honored prior to their final home match. They were celebrated for all of those traits and more. And when their names were read during opening introductions, their teammates voiced their appreciation for them with the two loudest cheers of the day. It was a touching tribute for two special men.
 
Albarran is set to graduate this spring with a double major in mechanical engineering and mechatronic engineering and plans to pursue a career in the aerospace industry. Jackson will earn his graduate degree in education this spring and plans to teach at the elementary school level.
 
The Wildcats were hoping this would not be their last home match, but their 1-0 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay ended their hopes for an opportunity to host a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament first-round affair. Instead, the Wildcats might be getting a rematch with the Otters in Seaside when the postseason begins next Sunday.
 
First, Chico State will wrap up the regular season Thursday at 2 p.m. at Cal Poly Humboldt.
 
The Wildcats hope to bring more offense to that match after being out-shot 12-3 on Sunday. Cal State Monterey Bay grabbed the lead in the 15^th minute on Roberto Banegas' goal, assisted by Colin O'Mahoney.
 
The Wildcats, who lost for the first time since Sept. 30, fell to 6-4-7 overall and 3-2-5 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay improved to 8-6-2 overall and 6-4-0 in the CCAA while clinching its first postseason berth since 2007.
 
Thursday's match at Cal Poly Humboldt will be broadcast on the CCAA Network and live stats are also available. Links can be found at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the men's soccer schedule page. Access to the live video stream requires a subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.