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ARCATA, Calif. - Not even 110 minutes and two overtime sessions could produce a result in the 2023 CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Championship between two nationally ranked top 10 teams. The tournament's top two seeds, No. 1 Cal State LA and No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona, battled to a 0-0 draw in regulation before turning to penalty kicks to determine the tournament champion.
 
Cal State LA built a 3-1 lead after leading off and connecting on its first three attempts. Max Laguna brought it back to 3-2 for Cal Poly Pomona before the Golden Eagles extended it back to 4-2 when Tommaso Belli shot to the top of the net got past the keeper. The match almost ended on the next shot, as Cal State LA's keeper Julian Aadlandsvik was able to get a hand on the ball, but it went off his fingers and snuck into goal to make it 4-3.
 
The Broncos caught their break as the next shooter's attempt sailed high over the net, setting up the shot that would extend the shootout for CPP or give the title to Cal State LA. The next Bronco lined up the shot, but Aadlandsvik guessed corrected and thwarted the attempt. He stood and cheered as his teammates rushed at him and hoisted the Tournament's Defensive MVP onto their shoulders in celebration.
 
It is Cal State LA's fifth CCAA Tournament Championship in the past six seasons and its third straight.
 
Although no one was able to net a goal in the match, both teams created great opportunities, especially in regulation.
 
Cal Poly Pomona was the offensive aggressor early as they pushed the attack. They had two good opportunities in the 18th minute. The first was a shot in the box that was blocked by a defender near the mouth of the goal, and the second was a cross where a Bronco got a foot on it during a slide, but the ball went high over the goal.
 
Both teams had looks in the final five minutes of the half. CPP's Max Laguna was able to beat a defender and the keeper to the ball and tried poking it into the net, but it drifted to the left of the net. The Golden Eagles got their first good chance in the last minutes of the half as Tommaso Belli made a nice run, but his shot was deflected by a defender.
 
It looked like a goal was going to be scored in the 66th minute when a Broncos' run resulted in an open header opportunity, but the student-athlete was called offside, and the goal was erased.
 
With the win, Cal State LA earned the CCAA's automatic bid to next week's NCAA Super-Region 4. Cal Poly Pomona is also expected to earn an at-large bid, as it was ranked third in the latest regional rankings. The top 10 teams will earn a spot in the Super Regional. The NCAA Selection Show will be on Monday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. to determine the final bracket for the regional.