SEATTLE – Cal State L.A.'s women's soccer team, playing in its first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game, made sure there will be a second.
The Golden Eagles, after playing to a 0-0 tie for the third time this season with Chico State, advanced with a 3-1 edge in penalty kicks Friday in first-round Far West Region action at Seattle University's Championship Field. Cal State L.A. (13-5-3) will now play Seattle in a second-round contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Seattle.
Cal State L.A., seeded sixth in the Far West Region, has now played 330 minutes of soccer against Chico State (13-5-3) this season with neither team scoring. Chico State won the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie with the Golden Eagles last week in Carson and was seeded third in the region. The two teams also battled to a 0-0 tie in Chico on Sept. 30.
“We're very proud of the way we played,” Cal State L.A. Head Coach
Chris Chamides said. “We showed a lot of resilience after losing on PKs last week and coming back to win today.”
After converting on only one of five penalty kick tries last week in the CCAA Championship game, the Golden Eagles knocked in all three attempts on Friday.
Dana Menard,
Erika Prado and
Megan Stevenson all made their shots. Chico State, after making its first attempt, was denied on its next three tries by Cal State L.A. goalie
Reyna Coca.
Chico State, shooting first, took a 1-0 edge when Stephanie Insler's attempt was good. Menard, though, countered to make it 1-1 after the first round. After Coca stopped a try by Tracee Sterry, Prado came through for Cal State L.A. to make it 2-1. Prado was the only Golden Eagle who had made her penalty kick in the CCAA Tournament. Coca then stopped Ashley Gunther and Stevenson knocked in her shot to put the Golden Eagles on the doorstep at 3-1. Coca then stopped Abby Stretch to end the shootout.
The Golden Eagles posted their school-record 11th shutout of the season. Coca made three saves during the match and then her three big stops during the shootout sent Cal State L.A. into the next round.
Cal State L.A. held a 12-9 advantage in shots, including a 9-7 edge in the first half when the Golden Eagles put five shots on net against Chico State goalie Kari Gonzales. Prado had the best scoring chance late in the first half with a arching shot that was just within Gonzales' reach and the Chico State goalie pushed the ball out of harm's way.
Menard had a strong match for the Golden Eagles and fired four shots, all of them on goal.
The Golden Eagles will now face No. 2 seed Seattle, which carries in a 17-3 record into Sunday's match.
