Women’s soccer remains undefeated after CCAA opener
By Christian Rodarte, September 29, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s soccer team opened conference play on the road with a 2-0 shutout over Cal State Los Angeles Sept. 18, extending the Broncos’ undefeated start to the season.
According to Bronco Athletics, this is the first time in Broncos’ history it enters conference play with a 4-0-2 record.
The first half started with the Broncos having a hard time keeping the ball in bounds, but defender Angelina Santana took the first shot on goal in the seventh minute, sparking an early shift in momentum.
CSULA struggled to create offensive opportunities as the Broncos controlled the midfield and pinned the Golden Eagles in their defensive third, maintaining pressure throughout the attack. Santana connected with midfielder Charlie Gallardo in the 26th minute, resulting in her second goal as a Bronco and giving the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
Gallardo described how her positioning and chemistry with Santana helped create the opportunity.
“I was on the weak side and I knew they weren’t going to see me, so I was kind of creeping in and then I just saw the ball bounce through them,” Gallardo said. “When we’re both on the same side, we just know how to play well together.”
Following the goal, CPP worked the ball forward through Gallardo and midfielder Sabine Ramos before forward Carly Radke attacked the box and fired a shot that Golden Eagles goalkeeper Kendyl Sumlin blocked.
Broncos forward Bailey Guerrero entered as part of a three-player substitution moments later and sent a cross inside the box to Radke for the goal, making the score 2-0.
Radke said she recognized space on the opposite side of the field and began making a wide run as her teammate prepared to send the ball forward.
“I like using the weak side because everybody was on the right side of the field,” Radke said. “When she picked her head up, she was kind of winding up to hit it long, so I started my run wide and it worked out.”
Radke said the Broncos spent much of their preparation for the game working on attacking wide spaces quickly switching the point of attack and creating opportunities for early crosses.
“The girls did a great job of using the space we identified that might be used to counter,” head coach Jay Mason said. “Even when the first moment didn’t come off, we got bodies around the ball, and that’s hard to do against LA because that’s their strength.”
Mason said the Broncos executed their game plan to exploit open space and maintain pressure when their initial attacking opportunities broke down.
After CPP controlled much of the first half the momentum shifted coming out of halftime as Cal State LA began pushing forward and keeping the Broncos in their own half. The Golden Eagles nearly scored in the 60th minute when defender Maitland Kohoutek’s shot bounced off the right post.
Goalkeeper Parker LaMont and CPP’s defense protected the lead throughout the second half, limiting the Golden Eagles to three shots.
Following a late injury timeout, CSULA increased its offensive pressure in the 88th minute by pushing players forward on the attack, but the Broncos’ defense held firm, defending four corner kicks in the final two minutes to maintain the lead.
LaMont secured her fourth shutout of the season, according to Bronco Athletics.
Mason said he was proud of how the Broncos managed difficult moments in the game even with new players entering the field, which helps build the team’s confidence and depth.
The Broncos took five points from their following three-game home stretch and will look to extend their undefeated run on the road against Chico State Oct. 2.
