LOS ANGELES -- Cal State Los Angeles and goalkeeper Heather Emswiler held off a determined Cal State San Bernardino team in the second half Sunday to beat the Coyotes 2-1 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association women's soccer match at Jesse Owens Stadium.
    Emswiler made eight saves on the 16 shots that the Coyotes tried in the match and three of those saves came in the final 20 minutes of the second half after the Golden Eagles had pulled ahead 2-1 in the 62nd minute on what proved to be the match-winning goal by Khadijah Greenwood.
    The loss was a crucial one for the Coyotes, ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division II West Region. A win would have kept them in contention for one of six regional playoff spots. The loss also kept the Coyotes from getting closer to possibly qualifying for a berth in the four-team CCAA conference tournament.
    The victory by Cal State L.A. (7-7-3 overall and 6-6-2 in the CCAA) avenged a 1-0 loss at San Bernardino on Sept. 12 to the Coyotes. CSUSB's record is now 9-5-4 overall and 6-4-2 in the CCAA.
    The Coyotes outshot the Golden Eagles, 16-11, and had five corner kicks to two for CSULA.
    Emswiler's heroics in goal preserved the win. In the 71st minute, she saved a shot by CSUSB freshman Jaclyn Clark. In the 78th minute, she stopped a shot by freshman Casey Hirsch. Two minutes later, a shot by sophomore Jenna Sanchez hit the post and caromed away and seconds later, a shot by freshman Kristina Gomez went wide.
    CSUSB's last opportunity came at 89:10, just 50 seconds before the end of time, but Emswiler saved a shot by Coyotes senior Krista Feer to preserve the victory for L.A.
    L.A. opened the scoring on Natalie Martin's header off a corner kick just 3:18 into the match, a 1-0 lead that the hosts nursed until the 48th minute when Gomez scored her third goal of the season on a shot from the right side from a pass by Hirsch to even the score at 1-1. It was Hirsch's third assist of the season.
    Greenwood scored in the 62nd minute on a through ball as she went one-on-one with CSUSB goalkeeper Leslie Rhodes and put away the match-winner.
    Rhodes saved three shots on goal in the match.
    The Coyotes will host UC San Diego on Friday then close out the regular season next Sunday at home against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
            CAL STATE L.A. 2, CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 1
    CSUSB goal: Kristina Gomez. Assist: Casey Hirsch. Goalie saves: Leslie Rhodes (3).
    CSULA goals: Natalie Martin, Khadijah Greenwood. Goalie saves: Heather Emswiler (8).


    CSUSB goal: Kristina Gomez