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SAN BERNARDINO - No. 2 seed Cal State LA avenged its only loss of the season, defeating top-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills 2-1 in the championship match of the 2022 CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. (Nov. 6)
 
The Toros had gotten the better of the Golden Eagles in LA on Sept. 25 when Martin Velasquez hit a perfect shot to hand Cal State LA its first defeat in over a calendar year (25-match unbeaten streak).
 
The Golden Eagles (15-1-3) did not seem to forget that result in the rematch on Sunday. They overcame an early 1-0 deficit and fought back to hand the Toros (14-1-5) their first loss of the 2022 season.
 
Alpha Sowe put Cal State Dominguez on the board first with a goal in the 19th minute. He and Logan Kaufman ran a perfect give-and-go, with Sowe finishing from 14 yards out with a hard shot to the left side of the net. It was his first goal of the season and the third of his career.
 
The Toros would continue to get chances in the first half but could not get another shot passed the CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, Alvaro Unanua. Daniel Garcia then took advantage of a minor lapse by the defense and provided the equalizer 37 seconds before the halftime horn. Jacob Chong threw a ball from deep on the Toros' side over the defense, and Garcia finished with the header.
 
Garcia, who was named the CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player, was also instrumental in the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute. He took a free kick near the right sideline, just past midfield. His served ball curved back against the rush of players crashing into the box and found the head of the 2022 CCAA Newcomer of the Year, Oliver Diaz. Diaz did not miss his opportunity as he directed it into the net for what would be the championship-winning goal.
 
Over the next 36 minutes, Cal State LA's defense held one of the nation's top-scoring teams in check. It held CSUDH to one shot on goal and just two shots overall. Unanua finished the match with four saves for the Golden Eagles, while his counterpart did not have a stop in the finals.  
 
The CCAA Tournament championship was Cal State LA's second consecutive and fourth in the last five years. They will try to defend their national title when they begin NCAA Super-Region 4 play next week. The Golden Eagles are expected to be named one of the two hosts for the opening round. They will find out their seed on Monday, Nov. 7, on the NCAA.com Selection Show at 3:30 p.m. (PST).
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills is also expected to receive an at-large bid to the 10-team Super-Regional after not suffering their first loss of the season until November.