Box Score
TURLOCK -- Hats off to Cal State L.A.'s women's soccer team.
The Golden Eagles won their first California Collegiate Athletic Association championship with a 4-0 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills Sunday at Cal State Stanislaus' Warrior Stadium. Cal State L.A. (17-2-2) got a three-goal hat trick from
Liz Franco, who also assisted on the Golden Eagles' fourth goal.
Alex Conley scored that goal for her 11th of the season.
Franco, who was named the conference's Most Outstanding Player of the Year earlier this week, tied a program single-game record with the three goals. The hat trick gives her 13 goals on the season, which also ties a record set by Kristy Contreras in 1997. Franco has already set single-season records for assists (17) and total points (43).
Cal State L.A., ranked ninth in the nation and first in the NCAA West Region, completed a fantastic tournament as the CCAA's top seed. The Golden Eagles outshot No. 2 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills (13-8) by a 22-6 margin and had a 45-12 advantage in shots in their two games in Turlock. Cal State L.A. had a 23-6 edge in its 1-0 win over Chico State on Friday.
The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead early in the first half after a penalty kick by Franco and then shut down the Toros' potent offensive attack. Cal State Dominguez Hills was limited to only two shots in the second half and the Golden Eagles held them without a shot for the final 30 minutes of the first half.
Jessie Walworth needed just one second-half save to record the Golden Eagles' 12th shutout of the season and fourth in a row. Cal State L.A. is also unbeaten in its last 12 games with a 10-0-2 record since a 1-0 overtime loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sept. 23.
Cal State Dominguez Hills got off four of the game's first five shots, but, after a foul in the box, Franco converted on a penalty kick in the 17th minute to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. Cal State L.A. kept the pressure up for the remainder of the half and held a 10-4 advantage in shots at the break.
It was all Cal State L.A. in the second half. Franco made it 2-0 in the 50th minute when she collected a pass from
Jasmin Stuemper and drilled a hard strike from just outside the box to the top left corner for her second goal of the game.
Walworth made her lone save of the game when she snared a header shot by Britney Vance in the 59th minute.
Franco made it 3-0 in the 69th minute when she got to a loose ball in front of the net and sent a slow roller into the net.
Gabbi Segall took the initial shot had an assist on the play.
Conley finished the scoring in the 74th minute with her 11th goal of the season. She hit a high shot after taking a long cross from the sideline to the opposite side of the box. Franco and
Ann Marie Tangorra picked up assists.
Cal State L.A. had a 12-2 edge in shots in the second half.
Franco was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player, while
Caroline Hanna was named the tourney's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Kelly Melanson, Walworth, Stuemper,
Amanda Matthews and Tangorra were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Cal State L.A.'s 17 victories are a program record and the Golden Eagles were making their second appearance in the CCAA Championship Tournament and made their second trip to the championship game. The Golden Eagles reached the title game in their first-ever trip to the tournament in 2007.
Cal State L.A. will now await the NCAA Division II playoff pairings that will be announced on Monday. The Golden Eagles entered the final week of the season as the region's No. 1 seed and earned the CCAA's automatic qualifying bid with its tournament championship. They will be joined by Seattle Pacific, Dixie State and three at large teams in the single-elimination, 32-team NCAA tournament.
Cal State L.A. will be making its second trip to the NCAA playoffs. The Golden Eagles reached the West Region title game in 2007.