LOS ANGELES — Cal State East Bay men's soccer punched its ticket to the CCAA Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon with a gritty 2–1 over Cal State LA at University Stadium.  The Pioneers (7–5–5, 4–2–4 CCAA) set the tone early and used a composed defensive effort led by goalkeeper Adan Corona, who tallied six saves to keep the Golden Eagles at bay.
 
East Bay struck first in the 22nd minute when Kiichi Murakami chipped a shot from outside the box over the charging goalie and into the empty net.  The goal was his third of the season and gave the Pionners a 1–0 advantage. Despite Cal State LA pressing high and generating several quality looks, Corona and the backline held firm through the opening half.
 
The Pioneers wasted no time doubling their lead after halftime. Just 64 seconds into the second period, Alejandro Verdugo buried a shot from the left side, inside the far post for a 2-0 lead.  The setup was provided from Alejandro Zarate who played a nice thru ball to Verdugo to spring him free. 
 
Cal State LA continued to threaten, outshooting the Pioneers 23–14 overall, but East Bay's defensive discipline forced the Golden Eagles to settle for long-range attempts and set pieces. The hosts were handed a lifeline in the 72nd minute with a penalty kick, but Alex Mendez's effort missed wide, preserving the two-goal cushion.
 
The Golden Eagles finally broke through in the 85th minute when Jose Lopez scored on a header off a free kick, trimming the deficit to one. However, East Bay held strong over the final moments, clearing multiple late corner kicks to seal the win.
 
With the result, Cal State East Bay advances to face the No. 2 seed Cal State Stanislaus in the semifinals on Friday at 10:30 am at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside.