CHICO, Calif. - After clinching an appearance in the CCAA Conference Tournament following their tie on Sunday against CSUMB, the Wildcats had one final game that could help boost them in the regional rankings. Stanislaus State took an early lead over the 'Cats, but defender Carson Zarate pounced on an open ball in the box, leveling the game before halftime.

The Warriors gained the advantage early into the game, catching the Wildcats on their heels. However, the early goal from the visitors lit a fire under the home team, who ramped up their offense for the remainder of the half.

In the final game of the regular season for the CCAA, it was the defender Carson Zarate who tallied his fourth goal of the season, tapping home a free ball off a Preston Moll free kick. Justin Ricketts got a head to the floating cross, nailing the inside of the left post and falling perfectly in front of Zarate.

Noah Ross and Justin Ricketts led the Wildcats with three shots each, their chances only missing the net by small margins.

Junior Emanuel Padilla continues to come in clutch for the Wildcats, making three saves against the Warriors on Thursday. 

Chico State clinched fourth place on the CCAA Standings behind Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal State LA. They will be hosting the Cal State San Marcos Cougars on Sunday in the first round of the postseason tournament, looking to improve from their last result against CSUSM.

The last time these two programs met was October 1st, when the two played to a 0-0 tie.

Kickoff will be at 11:30 a.m. this upcoming Sunday at University Soccer Stadium. The semi-finals and finals will be held at the host site of Cal Poly Humboldt. The winner of Sunday's match between the fourth and fifth seeds will play the top-seeded Cal State LA in the semi-finals.