By Jacob Rodriguez, Oct. 15, 2024
Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer team ended its eight-game winning streak in a 2-2 draw against Cal State Monterey Bay, while the No. 7-ranked men’s team split the California Collegiate Athletics Association opening weekend.
The Broncos opened conference play at Kellogg Stadium against San Francisco State University and CSUBM Oct. 4-6.
In the first women’s soccer matchup, the Broncos trailed early in the game behind a corner kick that resulted in a right-footed strike by Gators senior Brynn Reyes into the right side of the net at 11:37.
Despite the early setback, the Broncos pushed the ball into Gators’ territory, creating space and firing off for nine shots in the first half to SFSUs’ two.
Defender Liberty Ortiz rallied the team back off a free kick with a right-footed strike that found its way into the net to tie the game 1-1, despite an initial save by Gators goalkeeper Kylie Tone.
“I was really proud of the way the girls responded after the goal,” said head coach Jay Mason. “I was really proud of the way we came out and went at them. I thought after the goal went in it was good to see them continue the things that generated more chances earlier.”
The Broncos remained aggressive on defense throughout the second half, allowing only two shots from the Gators.
Midfielder Vanessa Cruz sparked the momentum for CPP in the second half with her fifth goal of the season off a free kick to put the Broncos up 2-1 at 59:57.
Forward Anna Schellpeper delivered a right-footed pass on the ground from the middle of the field to lead forward Alexis Macias into the penalty area.
Macias tipped the pass over to midfielder Lavinia Vaipulu, sealing the match with a left-footed strike for a 3-1 win.
Cruz attributed the win to the team’s mindset of being in the moment and focusing on the now, rather than the past.
With the win, CPP stood at 8-0 overall and looked to extend its win streak over CSUMB.
Both teams remained scoreless for the first 22 minutes of the game. The Broncos’ defense prevented the Otters from attempting a shot while earning six of their own, outshooting CSUMB 20-4 overall.
CSUMB’s midfielder Tiger Rendon sent a 30-yard, left-footed strike that sailed over goalkeeper Bella Hara to find the back of the net, giving the Otters a 1-0 lead.
The Broncos maintained possession on offense, but the Otters snuffed out any chance for the Broncos to score throughout the first half.
In the second half, the Broncos stayed aggressive on the attack but could not find the net, as Otter’s goalkeeper Nylah Mirshafiel recorded six saves on the night.
Macias found success for the Broncos in the 69th minute with a header assisted by forward Tara Oper off a corner kick to tie the game 1-1.
The Otters responded at the 81st minute when midfielder Danielle Castro crossed the ball to forward Evelyn Sandoval to regain the lead 2-1.
The Broncos remained determined, pushing from the right side as Oper crossed it to Schellpeper near the goal. Sandoval played the ball into the net, marking an own goal and sealing the draw 2-2 at 88:15.
“Even though we had struggles in the game, we were able to find a way to push through everything for the stakes, through the heat, through senior day, and we were able to find a way through,” said Schellpeper.
The men’s soccer team split the conference opening weekend for a 1-0-1 CCAA record, hosting San Francisco State and CSUMB at home.
Within the first few minutes of the game, both teams registered shots. Gators goalkeeper Mario De La Torre challenged the Broncos on offense with 10saves throughout the game.
SFSU midfielder Isaac Sandoval scored early off an assist by midfielder Nathan Garcia to take an early 1-0 lead for the Gators at 12:54.
Despite CPP outshooting SFSU nine shots to two in the first half, the Broncos struggled to convert opportunities on offense.
“We started slow,” said head coach Matt O’Sullivan. “We just have to start quicker. We had a couple of opportunities earlier and lost possession of the ball, credit to San Francisco. First and foremost, they were very good and organized. They came out to make it hard for us, and we have to expect that in our conference.”
Heading into the second half, CPP controlled the ball for most of the half, despite pressure from the Gators at the back line to clear out any momentum the Broncos tried to gain.
The Bronco’s relentless attack paid off when defender Fin Jackson scored the first goal, after the Gators misplaced the ball, tying the game 1-1 at 75:22.
“It’s obviously a great feeling to score,” said Jackson. “From my point of view, we wanted to win that game, so my next thought was, ‘Can we get the ball quickly? Can we score another goal?’”
With 25 shots on the night, CPP set a new single-game high in the CCAA this season and marked the Broncos’ most since totaling 29 in a 3-0 win at Regis last season.
In search of CPP’s first conference win against CSUMB, the Broncos collected 11 shot attempts and allowed just a single shot by the Otters in the first 40 minutes.
Midfielder Mike Moser fired a left-footed kick from just outside the penalty box into the bottom left of the net, marking his third goal of the season and his eighth career goal as a Bronco at 40:51.
“Once we got out wide, I saw there was a lot of space inside,” said Moser. “I knew I would get that chance, so I’m really glad it happened and that I could finish the game like that.”
Early in the second half, CSUMB generated its first shot on net, but CPP’s goalkeeper Luke Garciduenas made a critical save to deny the Otters a goal within the 57th minute.
In the closing minutes of the game, forward Mads Frederiksen assisted midfielder Max Laguna on his third goal of the season, firing a strike into the bottom-right frame late to secure a 2-0 win over CSUMB for the Broncos’ first conference win.
The Broncos travel on the road to face Cal State Los Angeles Oct. 17, before hosting Cal State Dominguez at Kellogg Stadium Oct. 20 in the second weekend of CCAA play.
Feature image courtesy of Jacob Rodriguez
