LONG BEACH, Calif. – After back-to-back goals in the first half, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State played 75 minutes of scoreless soccer en route to a 1-1 draw on Thursday night at George Allen Field in Long Beach, Calif.
The Titans (8-5-5, 3-2-2 Big West) remain at third in the Big West Conference standings with 11 points, and the top four teams in the league advance to the conference tournament which begins Thursday, Nov. 7 at Titan Stadium. Fullerton won the right host the tournament after winning the 2012 regular season title
A win on Sunday at UC Irvine in the regular season finale would secure the Titans the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Cal Poly won the 2013 Big West championship outright on Thursday, recording a 1-0 victory in Davis. UC Irvine has clinched the No. 2 spot with 15 points. Six teams are battling for the last two spots.
Janali West's goal in the 33rd minute gave the Titans a 1-0 advantage after she headed Lauren Mellano's cross into the back of the net.
But Fullerton's lead lasted less than three minutes when Long Beach State's (8-6-3, 2-2-3 Big West) Melanie Fox was able to get to the rebound off her own header, and record the game-tying goal in the 35th minute.
It was only the 13th goal allowed in 2013 by the Titans.
Fullerton had a slim 12-11 advantage in shots, with each team taking four looks on goal.
Titan keeper Lindsey Maricic and LBSU keeper Kaci McCain made three saves apiece.
The Titans close the regular season on the road at 2 p.m., Sunday against UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium. A win would clinch the Titans a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament.
Notes: For the first time in the 16-match series between Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, the match ended in a tie…Fullerton has played eight overtime matches thus far in 2013 -- surpassing the total from 2012 and three shy of its NCAA record-tying 11 overtime matches in 2011. The Titans remain unbeaten in overtime (3-0-5) and are 13-10-19 in extra time during Head Coach Demian Brown's six-plus seasons…Erica Mazeau's assist on Fullerton's goal was the 14th of the senior's career, placing eighth on the school's all-time list in the category…Janali West becomes just the fourth Titan in 2013 to score multiple goals this season when she knocked in her second score of the year against Long Beach State…Melanie Fox's goal snapped Fullerton's 271-minute streak of not allowing an opponent goal.