By Matthew Acosta, August 29, 2023
After suffering a lackluster season, Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer team looks to not only improve but win it all with a cast of young returners set to start the season.
CPP went 6-9-3 over the course of last season led by the trio of midfielder Liberty Ortiz, midfielder Marisa Salazar and goalkeeper Audrey Brown.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, collegiate athletes were granted an extra year of eligibility which helped seniors and juniors from missing out on a season but would hurt the Broncos in the long run when the team’s more experienced players graduated in subsequent years.
This opening allowed underclassmen a greater chance of getting on the field and gaining experience.
Last year, the team collectively had what head coach Jay Mason called its “most successful” spring campaign since he arrived at CPP ahead of the 2016 season.
The now-sophomore Ortiz is primed for a breakout season which she accredits to her experiences and growth stemming from last season.
“I think it was definitely a learning opportunity for me because I think as a freshman a lot of people will come in with a lack of confidence since you’re younger and you are dealing with real adults now,” said Ortiz. “Last season definitely gave me a lot of confidence heading into this season.”
Mason will be entering his eighth season as head coach, and the consensus among himself and the team is that this is not just the most close-knit team that they have had in recent history but the most talented as well.
“We are really excited, the group was together for three weeks before I even got them this year,” said Mason. “The captains got the team together to get the team ready for preseason so it’s just exciting to watch that commitment in their own time.”
With the team meeting a week earlier than ever before under coach Mason, the team held practices and various team bonding events.
Team captain and fifth-year senior Phoëbe Amaro has stepped into a much-needed leadership role with this team which she hopes will translate to more team success on the field.
“It’s definitely challenged me in ways that I haven’t ever been challenged before,” said Amaro. “It’s a big weight to carry, but it is something I enjoy doing because when I was a freshman the transition was really hard.”
The team’s biggest collective goals are to bring home the program’s first regular season title and go a step further to secure the CCAA championship.
The team is currently facing some obstacles with player availability due to the COVID-19 virus beginning to spike once again.
“We just finished our first scrimmage, and we had a great result, but we were missing 13 kids and nine were due to kids that are sick,” said Mason.
The longer the Broncos can stay healthy and available, the better the chance they will have to grasp their coveted CCAA championship.
The team has come a long way from last season when it was forced to start nearly seven freshmen, which at any university in any sport would be a tough ask. Now the team has gained not only a more experienced and hungry sophomore class, but it has also gained a variety of transfer students that add different skills and much-needed experience for a young team.
“As a team, we all collectively are in agreement that we want to win the CCAA and hopefully make it to the national tournament and go far in that too,” said Ortiz.
CPP women’s soccer will open the season Thursday, Aug. 31 against Westmont College in Kellogg Stadium at 4:30 p.m.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics