SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay men's soccer team has reached the CCAA Tournament for the first time since becoming a conference member in 2009. Heading into the day, a win or a tie would be enough for the Pioneers to clinch a postseason berth. And a goal with nine seconds left lifted the Pioneers to a 1-1 draw in a CCAA regular season finale at The Cage against Cal State San Marcos. 
 

For 81 minutes, both teams engaged in a scoreless battle, showcasing their defensive prowess. However, the deadlock was broken in the 82nd minute when the Cougars' Ryan Meinardus found the back of the net, giving CSUSM a 1-0 lead.

With defeat looming and only 13 seconds remaining on the clock, the Pioneers were awarded a free kick. In a moment of high drama, Pablo Almontes took the set piece from the top of the box, threading a pass through the crowded defense to find Oscar Avendano. With just nine seconds left, Avendano calmly slotted the ball into the lower left corner of the net, securing the equalizer and, more importantly, clinching a postseason berth for Cal State East Bay.

• Avendano's crucial goal was his first as a Pioneer.
• Almontes contributed his third assist of the regular season.
• Eugenio Perez-Vera Merino and Julian Valle each recorded two shots on goal.
• Goalkeeper Adan Corona made five crucial saves for the Pioneers.

Cal State East Bay head coach Mike Haswell praised his team's resilience, stating:
"Great effort from the boys, proud of them for their fight until the end against a really tough team."
 

Cal State East Bay: 5-7-5, 4-3-4 CCAA
Cal State San Marcos: 4-7-7, 0-7-4 CCAA