By Cael Cross, September 22, 2026
The Cal Poly Pomona men’s soccer team lost 2-1 to Midwestern State University on the road Sept. 12 after conceding a last-minute goal.
CPP faced the reigning national champion and No. 6 ranked Mustangs as the second part of a two-game Texas trip after drawing 1-1 to St. Edward’s Sept. 10. The result marked the second straight loss to Midwestern State, following a 3-0 loss to the Mustangs in the NCAA Second Round in 2024, which also took place at Stang Park in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Broncos started on the front foot, winning numerous duels in the midfield leading to chances early in the first half. Forward Marvin Gamez had multiple chances, dragging a tame shot toward goal in the fifth minute and blasting a shot over the bar from outside the box in the 14th minute.
Outside of an off-target shot by MSU forward Italo Rodriguez in the 12th minute, the Mustangs struggled to create chances. The Broncos held most of the possession and quadrupled Midwestern State’s shots 8-2 before the first-half hydration break.
CPP defender and captain Liam McFarlane discussed the mindset of the team when facing top-level competition.
“We know we belong in big games and big moments against teams like that,” McFarlane said. “We’re playing in front of 300-400 people against the reigning national champions. This is the reason we play the game.”
Midwestern State gained momentum following the hydration break, pressuring the Broncos with crosses coming in from both wings. Mustangs forward Victor Hernandez III drove past multiple Broncos defenders before driving in a low shot, which CPP goalkeeper Jack Chapman rushed out and claimed.
The Mustangs broke through in the 37th minute after Gamez tripped Hernandez III in the box, giving up a penalty that forward Parker Plaxco finished.
MSU continued its attacks, creating an opportunity two minutes following the penalty through midfielder Cooper Tea, which forced Chapman into a diving save.
The Broncos created a couple chances late in the half through midfielder Jacob Ramirez and forward Esteban Salais, but Mustangs goalkeeper Jake Morris saved both comfortably, ending the half 1-0.
The Mustangs carried their attacking pressure into the second half, putting multiple shots on target in the first 10 minutes, including a strike by forward Liam Kervick that Chapman pushed over the bar.
MSU nearly scored a minute later from a corner through defender Davis Mays, but the strike was ruled out for a foul during the delivery.
CPP struggled to defend balls played over the top, according to head coach Matt O’Sullivan.
“We got to definitely be better in the air,” O’Sullivan said. “A lot of duels in the air we were getting beat on. We got to improve that.”
The Broncos created a chance to equalize in the 65th minute, but forward Efren Nunez Dominguez couldn’t steer his effort on target after latching onto a cutback from midfielder Jose Garcia.
Garcia nearly got a goal himself a minute later after Nunez Dominguez put in a low-driven cross that Morris pushed just beyond Garcia’s sliding effort.
The Broncos’ attack dynamics shifted after forward Clement Badger came on in the 74th minute. Badger’s speed and 6-foot-3 frame gave the Mustangs issues defending the long ball, which CPP used to create more scoring opportunities.
The Broncos found their equalizer in the 81st minute after Mustangs midfielder Christopher Guevara brought down forward Hector Arellanes just outside the six-yard box, resulting in a penalty that Gamez slotted past Morris.
CPP piled on the pressure after the penalty but could not convert their chances. Forward Nico Sanchez struck the left post in the 84th minute, and Garcia had multiple opportunities to score but could only muster up a shot at the near post that Morris saved.
“It’s a fragile sport,” McFarlane said. “If you don’t take advantage of when you’re on top, then the other team can get a moment. And if they take advantage of theirs, then all that hard work we did throughout the game, it’s seemingly for nothing.”
The lack of finishing caught up with the Broncos, as Plaxco latched onto a long throw from defender Tanner Tea, striking it past Chapman to score with eight seconds remaining to give Midwestern State the 2-1 win.
CPP drops to 2-2-2, having not won at Stang Park since 2021 when they upset the then-ranked No. 8 Mustangs 1-0 in the NCAA Second Round.
“We schedule these games so we can play the best,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m not afraid of anybody in the NCAA, and that’s why we put our team up against them.”
Despite the loss, the Broncos outshot the reigning national champs 18-17, while barely losing the shots on target battle seven to six. The Broncos also held NCAA joint-top scorer Jose Ortiz to one shot in 59 minutes.
CPP ended pre-conference play without an away win, going 0-2-2. The Broncos will have a chance to end that run as they head into conference play in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
“We just played the defending national champions, and we dominated a lot of the game,” McFarlane said. “We’re taking away that to recognize how good we are and how good we can be. Now we have the whole conference season to prove that we’re the best team in the CCAA.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
