[CSUMB-CSUSB Box Score] [CHICO-CSUSM Box Score]

The semifinals of the 2023 CCAA Men's Soccer Championship are set after No. 3 seed Cal State Monterey Bay and No. 5 seed Cal State San Marcos won their first-round matches at on-campus sites.
 
#3 Cal State Monterey Bay 1, #6 Cal State San Bernardino 0 [Box Score]
Facing the opportunity to earn the program's first CCAA Tournament win while hosting No. 6 seed Cal State San Bernardino in the first round, the No. 3 seeded Cal State Monterey Bay Otters met the challenge and earned a 1-0 victory.
 
Kane Ritchie broke the scoreless tie in the 79th minute with a beautiful goal that saw him receive a cross from low in the box, chest it down with control, and calmly deliver the perfect strike into the back of the net. Ritchie now takes over the Otters' lead with seven goals.
 
Apart from the difference on the scoreboard, the rest of the match was even, with both teams creating chances, reflected by the nearly identical stats.
 
Jack Blickenstaff had four saves while playing all 90 minutes in the net for the Otters. The Yotes spilt their keeper duties with John Samano and Mark Gamez each taking a half. Samano did not allow a goal in the first half but was not forced to make a save. Gamez made five saves but gave up the lone goal in the second half as CSUMB's offensive pressure increased after the half.
 
CSUMB will face the No.2 seed Cal Poly Pomona, in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10 in Arcata. The match will kickoff at 11 a.m. on CCAAnetwork.com.
 
#5 Cal State San Marcos 1, #4 Chico State 1 (CSUSM advances on PKs, 5-4) [Box Score]
It was a historic day for the Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team. The Cougars advanced in the CCAA Tournament for the first time in program history with a 5-4 shootout victory over the higher-seeded Chico State team after tying 1-1 in regulation.
 
Neither team had played an overtime match this season, let alone gone to penalty kicks, but that is where the match would be decided in the No. 4/5 matchup.
 
After 110 minutes and four rounds of penalty kicks, the shootout moved to the fifth and deciding round. The Cougars' Vincent Saldivar opened the round by converting into the back of the goal and extending the lead to 5-4. Chico needed the kick to extend the shootout to a sixth round, but it sailed high, and Cal State San Marcos advanced for the first time in program history.
 
The goals both came within a 10-minute stretch in the second half. Chico State's Vasilios Syrengelas scored first in the 58th minute to give the Wildcats the 1-0 lead. Riley Patterson and the Yotes answered back in the 68th minute when he took a well-timed pass from Curtis Collazos and Ryan Meinardus en route to registering his third goal of the season.
 
Jesus Mentado had a match-high five saves for the CSUSM. Emanuel Padilla posted four stops for the Wildcats.
 
CSUSM will face the No.1 seed Cal State LA in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10 in Arcata. The match will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. on CCAAnetwork.com.