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.
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GOAL SUMMARY |
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.
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NOTABLE STATS |
- 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.
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POSTGAME QUOTE |
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."
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FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS |
Cal State East Bay: 5-7-5, 4-3-4 CCAA
Cal State San Marcos: 4-7-7, 0-7-4 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
The Pioneers' historic season continues this coming Sunday, November 10 as they enter the CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, presented by FloCollege. Cal State East Bay is the No. 6 seed and will play a first round fixture at No. 3 seed Chico State. Kickoff from University Soccer Stadium is set for noon from Chico, California.
This matchup comes just over a week after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in Hayward on Friday, November 1. The winner of Sunday's contest will advance to the tournament semifinals against Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, November 15. Notably, the semifinal match will be played on the Cal State East Bay campus in Hayward, regardless of the matchup.
2024 CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament presented by FloCollege
Sunday, Nov. 10 - First Round (at campus sites)
Match 1: #6 Cal State East Bay at #3 Chico State, Noon
Match 2: #5 Cal State Monterey Bay at #4 Cal State LA, 2 p.m.
Match 3: #2 Cal Poly Pomona vs. Winner Match 1, 4 p.m.
Match 4: #1 Cal State Dominguez Hills vs. Winner Match 2, 7 p.m.
Match 5: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 1 p.m.
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