LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's soccer team will be heading back to the NCAA Division II West Region championship match thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Azusa Pacific on Saturday.
 
The Golden Eagles, the No. 3 seed in the West Region, advance to face No. 1 seed Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 7 p.m. Seattle Pacific will also be the site for a national quarterfinal match on Saturday.
 
The match on Thursday will be a rematch of the 2011 West Region championship match that was also held in Seattle and won by Cal State L.A, 3-2. The Golden Eagles will be making their fifth appearance in a regional title match in the past nine years. Cal State L.A. also reached the championship match in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
 
Cal State L.A. (14-3-2) survived another battle on Saturday by beating No. 2 seed Azusa Pacific. The Cougars (14-3) entered the match riding a 10-match winning streak and had an impressive resume that included a 2-1 win over defending West Region champion Simon Fraser. The match pitted a pair of nationally-ranked teams – Cal State L.A. entered the playoffs ranked No. 14 in the nation and Azusa Pacific was ranked 20^th.
 
Andre Bissmark scored the only goal of the game by pouncing on a loose ball in the 65^th minute. Bissmark was able to control a bouncing ball that Azusa Pacific goalkeeper Tyler Jaramillo couldn't quite grab at the top of the box. Bissmark took a dribble and placed the ball into the net for his fifth goal of the season.
 
Mike Beigarten recorded three saves for his 12^th shutout of the season. Azusa Pacific had a 9-8 edge in shots, while Cal State L.A. had a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
 
"Our guys really stuck to the plan. We have a way of playing and our way is really difficult for other teams to try to figure out and break down," Cal State L.A. assistant coach Michael Jacobson said. "We asked our guys to make it difficult to play against them and they did that tonight."
 
There were only seven shots on goal in the contest and all seven came in the second half.
 
The game's best early chance came from Abel Teferi, whose hard shot less than five minutes into the game was wide. Bissmark had a quality chance in the 33^rd minute when he put a shot from the right just outside the far post.
 
The game's first shot on goal came in the 56^th minute when Azusa Pacific's Caleb Canderlaria put a header on net from about 10 yards out that Beigarten saved easily. The Cougars continued their pressure and a bid by Carlos Garcia-Partida sailed high and wide.
 
Cal State L.A. had a great chance in the 60^th minute when a free kick from Herbert Biste from 25 yards out bent around the defenders before being punched out of danger by Jaramillo.
 
Keyran Kelly got a shot off in traffic in the 71^st minute that was scooped up by Beigarten and the Cougars made one final push in the 90^th minute. Luke Ackermann was able to get a volley on goal, but Beigarten made the save and the Golden Eagles closed out the match.
 
"It was a difficult one," Azusa Pacific head coach Dave Blomquist said. "Cal State L.A. is a great team. Their defense was swarming and it made it difficult on us. They did a great job defensively."
 
Bissmark became the fourth Golden Eagle to record five goals this season – Jordan Payne leads with six and Halil Tozar, Sigifredo Torres and Bissmark all have five – and he delivered his latest clutch goal. He also had the game-winner in the CCAA Championship Game last season in a 1-0 win over UC San Diego.
 
"As the ball was being played, we wanted to turn the defender's back and Andre got good position on his defender and he is a good goal scorer and he did a great job of creating and finishing the opportunity," Jacobson said.
 
Cal State L.A. will now advance to face Seattle Pacific in the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. Cal State L.A. won in 2011, 3-2, in Seattle and advanced past the Falcons on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie at Grand Canyon in a first-round match in 2012.