AZUSA -- Cal State LA's men's soccer team was able to complete an extremely difficult task in its first-round NCAA Division II West Region matchup on Thursday.

The 18th-ranked Golden Eagles, the No. 3 seed in the West Region, beat a talented Chico State team for the third time this season and advanced with a 2-1 victory at Azusa Pacific. The Golden Eagles (15-2-3) will face No. 2 seed Azusa Pacific in Azusa on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the regional semi-finals.

Cal State LA got a goal in each half and made it stand up against the Wildcats (13-6-1), who were seeded No. 6 in the region. The Golden Eagles took the lead in the 38th minute on a goal by Morten Bjoershol on a free kick from about 30 yards out and then took a 2-0 lead in the 74th minute on a goal by Robin Lindahl, who now has a CCAA-leading 12 on the season.

Chico State made things interesting in the final moments after making it 2-1 on a goal by Garrett Hogbin with 3:01 remaining in the game, but Cal State LA's defense locked it down from there and didn't allow a shot the rest of the way.

Cal State LA had a 10-4 edge in shots for the game and didn't allow a shot in the first half. The Golden Eagles allowed only their eighth goal of the season and have now outscored their opponents, 42-8.

All three Cal State LA-Chico State games were decided by one goal. Lindahl, who now has five game-winning goals, picked up his second in as many games. He had the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA Tournament title game on Sunday in La Jolla.

The game was scoreless until Bjoershol drilled an impressive strike on a free kick in the 38th minute. The ball was curving toward the upper left corner of the goal and a leaping Chico State goalkeeper Luke Dennison was unable to keep it out of the net.

The Golden Eagles didn't allow a shot in the first half and then opened up a 2-0 lead on Lindahl's goal. He received a pass from David Elizaga from the left side of the box and finished it from about six yards out. Elizaga picked up his team-leading seventh assist of the year.

Chico State scored off a corner kick to make it 2-1, but that's as close as the Wildcats could get.

Cal State LA will now face the PacWest champion Cougars on the Azusa Pacific field on Saturday in the next round.