SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Win, and you're in. The Cal State San Marcos women's soccer team (7-5-5, 4-4-2 CCAA) will have the opportunity to clinch a spot in the CCAA Tournament as it hosts Cal State East Bay (9-5-3, 5-3-2 CCAA) in the regular-season finale on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in The Cage.
 
LAST WEEK

• CSUSM fell 2-1 to Stanislaus State on Friday after the Warriors scored back-to-back goals in the first three minutes of the second half.
• The Cougars then earned a big 2-1 win against Chico State on Sunday to keep its postseason push alive with goals from Danielle and Natalie Paulson.

 
CCAA TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS

• CSUSM will enter Thursday tied for the sixth and final spot in the CCAA Tournament with Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal Poly Humboldt at 14 points.
• With a CSUSM win against Cal State East Bay, the Cougars would earn a tournament berth for the second consecutive season.
• With a CSUSM win and a loss or draw by Cal State San Bernardino against Cal Poly Pomona, CSUSM would be the fourth seed in the tournament and would host the fifth seed on Sunday at The Cage.
• With a CSUSM win and a Cal State San Bernardino win, the Cougars would be the fifth seed and travel to fourth-seeded Cal State San Bernardino on Sunday.
• With a CSUSM draw or loss, the Cougars would no longer control their own destiny and would have to rely on the day's other contests.

 
COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

• Danielle Paulson's five goals rank seventh in the CCAA while her three game-winning goals rank fifth.
• Cougar keeper Allison Marcure has the fifth-best goals-against average in the conference at .970. She's also played the second-most minutes. 
• CSUSM is taking the most corner kicks in the league at 5.94 per game.
• The Cougars have the second-best shot accuracy in the CCAA at .550.
• CSUSM is giving up the fourth-fewest goals per game in the conference at .941 while scoring the sixth most at 1.18.
• The Cougars putting up the fifth-most shots on goal per game in the league at 5.47.

 
REGULAR-SEASON FINALE AGAINST THE PIONEERS

• The Pioneers will enter Thursday's game in fourth place in the CCAA standings with 17 points.
• East Bay has won its past three matches and is on a six-game unbeaten streak.
• This past weekend, the Pioneers defeated Chico State 2-1 on Friday before earning a 2-0 win against Stanislaus State on Sunday.
• In their non-conference meeting on Sept. 28, the Cougars and Pioneers battled to a 2-2 draw in Hayward. CSUSM began the game with a 2-0 lead before CSUEB came marching back with two unanswered goals.
• Mika Sayfurahman leads the Pioneers with seven goals, three assists and 17 points for the season.
• CSUEB has the top shot accuracy in the CCAA at .569 and ranks third in shots on goal per game at (6.06).
• The Pioneers rank fourth in the conference in both scoring offense (1.35) and goals-against average (.941).
• CSUSM is 6-1-4 in the all-time series against CSUEB and is 2-1-1 at home.
• The last three meetings between the Cougars and Pioneers have ended in ties.
• CSUSM's lone loss to CSUEB came in the second meeting in 2015.
• The Cougars' last win against the Pioneers was in 2022 in San Marcos, winning 3-1.

2024 OUTLOOK

• After a historic 2023 season, CSUSM was just barely picked to finish second in 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing one point behind Cal Poly Pomona.
• The Cougars' roster of 32 includes 22 returners and 10 newcomers who are all freshmen.
• Returners Natalia Huntington, Nani Kia'aina, Allison Marcure and Natalie Paulson were named to the 2024 CCAA Women's Soccer Watchlist after earning first or second-team All-CCAA honors in 2023 or were voted to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.
• Natalie Paulson was the 2023 CCAA Player and Defender of the Year and went on to earn All-America first-team and All-Region honors.
• Of CSUSM's 32 goals scored in 2023, 28 of them were scored by 2024 returners.

THE RENNEISEN FILE

• Head coach Bobby Renneisen enters his 11th year in charge of the women's program and 19th overall at CSUSM.
• Renneisen coached the Cougars to their first CCAA Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023 with an 11-3-6 (6-0-5 CCAA) record while finishing second in the CCAA standings.
• Renneisen and his assistant coaches were named the 2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II West Region Staff of the Year.
• Renneisen's 2018 team made its second consecutive CCAA Tournament appearance while also handing No. 1 UC San Diego its lone regular-season loss.
• Between 2006-13, Renneisen was an assistant/associate head coach for both the men's and women's soccer teams.
• As the women's head coach, Renneisen is 71-57-46 (.540) for his career with the Cougars.