By Daniel Duque, Dec. 12, 2023
Following a comfortable 4-1 win against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters, Cal Poly Pomona men’s soccer team took on the Cal State LA Golden Eagles Dec. 1, in Texas for the third round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Unfortunately, the Broncos fell short and after a 0-1 loss, CPP’s 2023 season came to a heartbreaking end.
Facing the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters during the second round, CPP demonstrated superiority, and after a first half packed with intensity and five goals, the Broncos managed to advance after a comfortable 4-1 win.
Although CPP head coach Matt O’Sullivan was satisfied with his team’s performance, he stressed that missed opportunities were a factor to improve on heading deeper into the tournament.
“You have to score chances,” said O’Sullivan. “In that first half we were not hitting balls over, we were hitting them close. I think in that regard we just have to make sure we hit the target.”
The game kicked off with the Broncos quickly getting possession of the ball and creating the first scoring opportunities. In the third minute, forward Paul Roger Henschke warned the opposition from long distance, but his shot went off target.
Three minutes later, CPP defender Woody Angell assisted Henschke with a piercing pass to the penalty box to score the first goal of the night and the latter’s 10th overall this season.
After the first goal, the Broncos kept pushing to increase the difference. In the 10th minute, a shot by midfielder Mike Moser hit the crossbar, and three minutes later, Henschke was close to punishing Monterey Bay for the second time after a mistake from Otter goalkeeper Jack Blickenstaff; however, Otter midfielder Jose Madrigal ultimately cleared the ball on the line.
The Broncos finally notched a second goal in the 14th minute after a well-executed corner kick by Moser connected with a header by defender Cesar Ruvalcaba to increase the difference to two.
Six minutes later, Moser once again found Ruvalcaba’s head in the penalty box after executing a left-wing free kick, giving CPP its third goal and the second to Ruvalcaba.
Despite the comfortable lead, the Broncos did not stop attacking and creating scoring opportunities. In the 27th minute, after the Otters cleared yet another CPP corner kick, forward Melvin Leon surprised the opposition with a long shot that Blickenstaff could not stop.
With the 4-0 lead, the Broncos slowed down their offensive game and aimed to defend their lead for the remaining 10 minutes of the half.
After a few approaches to the Broncos’ penalty box, the Otters found an opportunity to score when referee Frank Anderson awarded a penalty in the 31st minute, which forward Hugo Vargas-Rios converted.
The first half ended with a comfortable 4-1 lead for the Broncos.
The second half began with the Broncos quickly gaining possession of the ball and approaching Monterey Bay’s final third with two opportunities to extend their lead in the 38th minute.
Henschke found Moser in the penalty box, but the Otters’ defense managed to clear the ball off the line. Bronco defender Jasper Winslow subsequently recovered the ball and attempted a long-distance shot which Blickenstaff saved.
For the remainder of the half, the Broncos defended their lead while the Otters attempted to create opportunities to cut the difference. In the end, there were no more potential goal-scoring opportunities for either side.
“I think what we really wanted to do was defend the lead at that point, we were already up 4-1,” said Ruvalcaba. “We were just trying to prevent them from scoring again and giving them any momentum.”
Aside from the game, Henschke reached 10 goals, becoming the third top CCAA scorer of the season. He stated that despite showing good stats, all the credit belongs to the team.
“I’m happy that I have some numbers, but I’m part of the team,” said Henschke. “I haven’t won anything with my team and for me the most important thing is to win something with my team. That’s the goal that I’m aiming for.”
The Broncos’ comfortable 4-1 victory over the Otters bought CPP a spot in the third round of the tournament where they faced Cal State LA for the third time this season Dec. 1, but after a 0-1 defeat, the Broncos’ 2023 run came to an end.
O’Sullivan reflected on the challenges and obstacles that the Broncos faced throughout the season focusing on the missed opportunities.
“We do many good things and we are a very good team in a lot of aspects, but unfortunately, the only aspect that counts is the goal,” said O’Sullivan.
After kickoff, the first third of the match was a defensive stalemate. Henschke shot inside Cal State LA’s penalty area during the first minute, but the ball went off target.
The Cal State LA Golden Eagles gained multiple corner kicks but there were no potential goal-scoring opportunities for either squad.
Cal State LA finally broke through in the 33rd minute following a quick play resulting in a right-wing cross that Golden Eagle midfielder Oliver Diaz headed into the net defended by CPP’s goalkeeper C.J. Walker.
The Broncos quickly attempted to equalize in the 36th minute after midfielder Melvyn Perez Cortez executed a throw-in into Cal State LA’s penalty area, giving an equalizing opportunity to defender Christian Miramontes. His shot, however, was saved by Golden Eagle goalkeeper Julian Aadslandvik.
The first half concluded 0-1, leaving the Broncos with just 45 minutes to bounce back and secure the ticket to the quarterfinals.
Rather than attempting to extend their lead, the Golden Eagles prioritized defensive play to prevent the Broncos from equalizing.
After an uneventful first few minutes as the teams fought for possession, the Broncos eventually started attacking Cal State LA’s defensive third but struggled to keep their shots on target.
CPP had one of the clearest opportunities to score in the 63rd minute after Golden Eagle defender Andrew Portis lost the ball in his team’s own half leaving Henschke one-on-one against Aadslandvik, but his shot went over the crossbar.
CPP kept up the intensity, but the Golden Eagle defenders and Aadslandvik prevented the Broncos from equalizing despite their multiple approaches to the penalty box.
In the 83rd minute, Bronco defender Cesar Ruvalcaba attempted a volley, but his shot did not have enough power to give the equalizing goal to CPP.
In the end, the Broncos fell short, preventing them from advancing, finishing the 2023 season in round three of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Despite the elimination, O’Sullivan’s squad achieved a better record compared to last season’s, with a total of 14 wins, five draws and only two losses. The Broncos also achieved a higher position during the 2023 season after getting eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in the previous year.
Walker, who had his tenth consecutive start since the beginning of the season, reflected on the outcome of the game and acknowledged Cal State LA’s performance.
“You can’t really have that mindset of ‘we are going to learn from this’ because it ends the season,” said Walker. “They (Cal State LA) did their game plan very well, executed it. We did ours well except for the one crucial part of putting the ball in the back of the net.”
Feature image by Alexander Novoa
