LAKEWOOD, Calif. - For the fourth time in the last five meetings No. 10 CSUN and Long Beach State played to a one goal game Saturday and once again the 49ers prevailed 3-2 to sweep the Matadors.

     Long Beach clinched the regular season West Coast Hockey Conference title with 25 points while CSUN had to settle for second place with 24 points. The Matadors and Loyola Marymount finished with the same record but CSUN clinched the No. 2 spot due to sweeping the Lions.

     The first period featured few scoring chances for both sides but finally CSUN broke through at 1:30. While 4-on-4 senior Alex Marbach beat Tyler Gealy with a wrist shot from the left circle.

     The Matadors doubled their lead at 11:18 of the second with a goal from junior Nik Giers. But the 49ers got into the game just 1:03 later when Nick Schrepfer beat senior Vincent Sepe. Matt Hoeksema tied the game at 3:31 on a breakaway. CSUN then ran into penalty trouble late in the period and Long Beach took advantage. The Matadors were called for three straight penalties. CSUN killed off the first minor but with just two seconds left Ryan Osterkamp buried a rebound to make it 3-2.

     CSUN got a power play of its own at 15:51 of the third but couldn't convert. The Matadors pulled Sepe with under a minute to play to no avail.

     Long Beach finished 1-for-4 on the power play while CSUN finished 0-for-2.

     The loss dropped Sepe's record to 5-2 on the season.

     The WCHC playoff schedule is now set. The Matadors play LMU in the semifinals on Saturday Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. Cal State Fullerton is hosting this year's tournament at the East West Ice Palace in Artesia. CSUN is going for its third straight conference title.