Box Score    |   Final Stats

SEATTLE – Coach Mark Collings summarized Thursday's game in one word.
 
"Disappointing."
 
Jordan Payne scored the golden goal 62 seconds into overtime as 14th-ranked Cal State Los Angeles upset No. 4 Seattle Pacific in the NCAA Division II West Region championship game Thursday night at Interbay Stadium, 1-0.
 
"To have the opportunity to host the playoffs and lose at home … the first time we've lost at home all year is difficult to take," Collings said. "At the same time, we lost to a very good team. I don't want to take anything away from L.A. They're a very, very good team and well coached.
 
"We didn't have our best tonight and they did. Unfortunately, it's a bad time to lose."
 
Payne's team-leading seventh goal of the year puts the Golden Eagles (15-3-2) into the national quarterfinals for the second time in four seasons. They face Colorado Mesa on Saturday night at Interbay in a 7 p.m. clash to determine who advances to the College Cup in Louisville, Ky.
 
Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and No. 1 seed SPU finished the season at 16-2-2.
 
The visitors dominated the offensive statistics and owned large chunks of territory during the second half. It was their 10th corner kick that produced the sudden-death score. Halil Tozar's in-swinging corner was batted away at the upper right corner by SPU keeper Cody Lang.
 
Eduardo Almaraz collected the loose ball on the right side of the box and blasted it into a mix of players in front of the net. Standing 7 yards out, Payne redirected the ball past Lang, leaving a half-dozen Falcons first stunned, then lying on the turf.
 
"The keeper made a great punch and it went right to one of my teammates" Payne described. "One of our players dummied the ball, it went right to me and I didn't make a mistake."
 
It was the second road victory in as many tournament games for CSULA, which eliminated West No. 2 seed Azusa Pacific last week.
 
"I'd like to congratulate SPU on a fantastic season. Coach Mark and his student-athletes were atop the West all year long and did a great job," said Golden Eagles coach Chris Chamides. "I am very proud with how we played today and I thought there were chances for both teams. We were fortunate to make the play that we did in overtime."
 
Cal State L.A. kept the Falcons on their heels for much of the second period, although Seattle Pacific actually directed more attempts (three) on frame. But by closing down midfield space for a 20-minute span the ball stayed in the Golden Eagles' attacking end.
 
Payne figured in the first of two near-misses entering the final half-hour of regulation. He first-timed a feed from Troy Dumalo just over the bar from 8 yards in the 66th minute.
 
Less than four minutes later, a Halil corner found Christopher Gardea wide open at the top of box. Gardea's drive through a crowd was parried by Lang and cleared by the defense.
 
Another of Lang's four saves came after a corner in the 77th minute. He scooped up a header from Marvin Iskra, and a well-timed tackle from SPU's Danny Olivas denied Iskra a 1-on-1 opportunity with Lang five minutes later.
 
"I thought we had the better chances in the first half really, to be honest," said Collings. "The second half, something changed. They were for sure the better team and more aggressive team, and we were hanging on."
 
CSULA registered a 10-3 shot advantage during the second half and then scored on the only overtime attempt by either team.
 
Although outshot 17-4 for the game, SPU produced strong scoring chances in each half.

 

In the 49th minute, Stephen MacDonald's cut-back pass gave Jordan Kollars a clear shot from 12 yards. CSULA goalie Mike Beigarten was beaten, but Randy Mendoza got to the goal line for the clearance.
 
A free kick in the 18th minute left Kollars open from 20 yards, but Beigarten dove to his right to push the ball past the post.
 
Sean Russell of SPU also was a threat, twice getting opportunities in the final 30 minutes. On a counterattack, Russell latched onto an Ian Adams cross, but steered it wide left.
 
In the 89th minute, Russell's low, 30-yard drive was saved by Beigarten at the right post to secure his 13th shutout.
 
The Falcons disappointment will likely linger for a while. But Collings hopes his charges will eventually come to appreciate an outstanding season.
 
"We had bigger aspirations, for sure. We lost one game all regular season. To lose now is a tough time to lose.
 
"They're disappointed. But at the same time, hopefully, they'll be able to look back in the near future and be proud of what they did and everything they've accomplished together."
 
The Falcons established a new school record with a 13-game winning streak and their 15-game unbeaten run also eclipsed an existing SPU standard.
 
Colorado Mesa came from behind to oust St. Edward's (Texas) in the South Central Region final on Thursday, 2-1.
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
NCAA Division II Tournament – Round of 16
West Region championship
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
#14 Cal State Los Angeles 1, #4 Seattle Pacific 0 (ot)
 
Scoring – 1, CSULA: Jordan Payne (Eduardo Almaraz), 91:02.
 
Shots – CSULA 17, SPU 4.
Saves – CSULA 2 (Mike Beigarten), SPU 4 (Cody Lang).
Corner kicks – CSULA 10, SPU 0.
Fouls – CSULA 15, SPU 12.
Offsides – CSULA 0, SPU 1.
Attendance – 685.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 16-2-2
Cal State Los Angeles 15-3-2
 
Next game
NCAA Quarterfinal
Cal State Los Angeles vs. Colorado Mesa
Saturday, Nov. 22, 7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.