POMONA — It's an unfortunate way to decide who gets to advance in the postseason. But that's the way soccer goes and someone has to move on.

After a well played showdown between two conference foes, Cal State L.A. ultimately gets to play host, and top seed, Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday with a 3-0 advantage in penalty kick shootouts in the first round match of the NCAA Division II Championships.

The Golden Eagles out-guessed super stud goalkeeper Russ Klabough three times while goalie Anthony Perez saved two and a Stan State shot sailed high to decide the contest. Stanislaus State and Cal State L.A. had played to a 1-1 tie in a classic shootout where both teams played well all around the pitch.

"We have been in a few shootouts in the last few years and some times they are kind to you, some times they are not and this one stings," head coach Dana Taylor said. "To be honest with you it's disappointing to not going on in the NCAA tournament. I thought we did enough to go on, but L.A. was good tonight, too, and they were the ones who put the ball in back of the net."

Playing in overtime and playing a tight match is nothing new between these two squads lately. Thursday night's contest was the third straight overtime match in the series and the fifth consecutive time that the contest was decided by a goal or were in shootouts. Last year in the CCAA Championship semifinals, the Warriors advanced over L.A. via a 4-2 win in PKs.

Ironically for the Warriors, the season ended by the same result for the second straight year. The 2014 CCAA title match was decided the same way with Cal Poly Pomona taking the banner with a 3-0 advantage in the shootout after a 1-1 tie.

For the Warriors, Thursday night's shootout — which totalled 48 shots between the two teams — ended their remarkable season where many milestones were accomplished and many records fell. 

"I thought both teams had some great chances, both keepers came up big and both defense were solid," Taylor said. "It was an evenly matched game and that's why it came down to a shootout in the end."

Perez had 10 saves in the match with six of them in the first half when the Warriors dominated early. However, the Golden Eagles came out firing in the second half and even the score in the 58th minute on a Miguel Lara goal off of a service from Kaan Gultoprak that ricochet off a Warrior.

Luis Hernandez had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute on a perfectly placed free kick. Klabough picked up six saves but saw 27 L.A. shots, but only seven were on frame. The Warriors took 21 shots with 11 on goal.

The completion of the season also brought the end of a tremendous careers of a senior class that has brought the Stan State men's soccer program to an elite level.

"It's sad because nine seniors are no longer on the team. (The season) doesn't go far enough but there is only one team that will go far enough every year and that makes you feel second-best," Taylor added. "I am so proud of what these guys accomplished. They have done really, really well, they need to hold their heads up and keep learning these lessons they learn on the pitch and carry them through the rest of their lives."

Most of the members of this senior class have been part of two NCAA tournament teams and played in three of the last four CCAA conference championship matches, including winning the title in 2012.

The 2015 squad, which posted a school record 15 wins, set scoring marks with 55 goals, 49 assists and 159 points while shutting out opponents 10 times and allowed the fewest goals on average. The group also included the top two scorers in Jose Ramirez and Daniel Kuczynski and assist-man in Gerardo Cazares. At the net, Klabough posted a tremendous season setting records in goals against average and saves percentage while coming up with highlight-reel saves.