SAN BERNARDINO – Tantalizingly close to a huge victory, the Chico State men’s soccer team was forced to settle for a 2-2 tie at Cal State San Bernardino Friday afternoon. Chris Akwaja and Evan Armstrong netted second-half goals to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead – Armstrong’s coming with less than eight minutes to play – but the host Coyotes scored the equalizer with just 1:19 remaining to knot the score for good.
A win at San Bernardino would have positioned the Wildcats within a game of catching the Coyotes in the race for the final playoff spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Instead, with their second draw in their last three matches, the Wildcats have 16 points to Cal State San Bernardino’s 22. Teams earn three points for a win and one for a tie.
Evan Armstrong's goal briefly gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
The Wildcats are now 7-4-4 overall and 4-3-4 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino, currently ranked No. 4 in the West Region, is 11-3-1 overall and 7-3-1 in the CCAA. Each squad has five remaining conference matches. Sunday, the Wildcats travel to face Cal Poly Pomona, while the Coyotes host Cal State Stanislaus.
Friday’s match, at least statistically speaking, was played about as evenly as a match could be. The Wildcats held a slim 11-10 advantage in shots, including a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. But Coyotes goalkeeper Arath De La Rocha made five saves to Chico State’s Michael Keohane’s four.
Each team had eight corner kick opportunities, and the Wildcats committed 18 fouls to Cal State San Bernardino’s 17.
For much of the match, the scoreboard reflected the even play. The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead on Albert Cabrera’s goal in the 74th minute, but Akwaja had the equalizer 29 seconds later.
The Wildcats held the lead briefly when Armstrong struck for his fifth goal of the season off Luis Martinez’s second assist of the match in the 83rd minute. The lead lasted only 6:28, however, as Jose Godinez headed home a flick off a free kick with 1:19 remaining.
BOX SCORE