Toros Bow Out of CCAA Tournament With 3-0 Loss to No. 15 Chico State

Connor Brandt tallied 3 shots on the day, with 2 on goal

Box Score

TURLOCK -- Chico State scored three second-half goals in taking a 3-0 shutout win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in the first men's semifinal of the CCAA Championship Tournament, possibly ending CSUDH's season with the NCAA West Region field of four to be announced on Monday evening.

A month and a half removed from a loss to this same Wildcat team in Carson, the Toros were two goals better than that previous meeting.

However, 15th-ranked Chico State remained three goals better this afternoon in advancing to Sunday's CCAA Championship Title game against the winner of the late match pitting Cal State L.A. and host CS Stanislaus.

Just like in the first meeting, the two teams played close with neither squad being able to put a score on the board.

And just like that first meeting, the Wildcats broke the game open in the second half, with two scores courtesy of Chris Akwaja in the 65th and 89th minutes.

Chico State scored the go-ahead goal after Micah Miranda belted a 30 yard blast that eluded Toro keeper Markus Dickerson less than 10 minutes into the second half.

The Toros out-shot the Wildcats 16-10 for the contest, including a decisive 7-2 edge in the first half, but Chico's defense and keeper James Stroud were up to the challenge in spoiling CSUDH head coach Joe Flanagan's birthday.

Entering the CCAA tournament as the NCAA West's No. 5 seed with the top 4 seeds making the NCAA tournament, the Toros will now have to wait until Monday to find out if they trumped No. 4 Grand Canyon, which finished the weekend with a 1-1 record but won 6 of 7 to conclude the regular season.

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