By Benjamin Grover, October 14, 2025
The nationally ranked No. 1 Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer team opened their CCAA season campaign with a 1-0 win over CSU Monterey Bay Oct. 3.
The Broncos have won their last 18 games.
The win extends the Broncos’ record to 8-0 on the season, tying last season as the best starting record in the program’s history.
“Our team feels very confident going into the rest of our season,” said midfielder Abria Smith. “Obviously we don’t want to be complacent, but I think we’ve done a really good job at being focused on every game that we’ve played.”
The Broncos’ lone goal came off a penalty kick from former CCAA Player of the Year Vanessa Cruz in the 70th minute.
“I just try my best to show confidence,” Cruz said. “Once I stepped up to the plate, I knew if I put pace and placement it would go in, and it did just that.”
The game was by no means easy for the Broncos, as CSUMB switched to a six-person midfield in the second half, congesting the midfield and leading to a drop in possession.
Smith said the six-person midfield was sporadic and started to overload the Broncos, but they were still able to break through with a goal.
Despite the Broncos’ 1-0 win, the team is still struggling to put chances away, scoring only two goals from a combined 35 shots in their two 1-0 wins against the Otters and Cal State East Bay.
“We’re going to have to take more risk scoring goals,” head coach Jay Mason said. “That’s been our MO these last four games. We create a lot of chances, and we just haven’t been able to finish them.”
The Broncos controlled possession in the first half, their best opportunity coming off a cross from CPP midfielder Marisa Salazar in the 37th minute.
However, the most dangerous chance of the first half came from CSUMB’s forward Juliana Dow in the 38th minute with the ball crossed from the left flank, but the shot was just wide of the right-hand post.
Broncos’ defender Liberty Ortiz also had a scare in the 56th minute when she came down with a head injury after defending a cross.
Ortiz has been a consistent starter for the Broncos, playing the full 90 minutes five times in her last seven games.
Mason said Ortiz is not completely 100%. However, she did make a return in the match against San Francisco State Oct. 5.
“Lib is kind of the heart and soul back there,” Mason said. “She’s extremely brave and courageous, and I think it just scared her.”
The Broncos’ current record stands at 9-0 overall and 2-0 in conference after beating San Francisco State 2-0. The win broke the record for the best start to the season in the program’s history.
“I know this team is destined for greatness,” Cruz said. “We’re just going to run it back, do the right things and do them together.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
