Samayoa Sizzler Sends Cal Poly Pomona to First CCAA Tourney Final Since 2001

SEASIDE, Calif. - A Cal Poly postseason derby went the way of Cal Poly Pomona under Friday night lights at Cardinale Stadium, 1-0, over Cal Poly Humboldt in the late semifinal of the 2023 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Soccer Tournament. Cal State Monterey Bay is serving as the host for the first time.

With a second straight 1-0 victory away from home, first-time CCAA regular-season champion and tournament top seed CPP improves to 11-4-3 overall. The Broncos are making their second successive conference postseason appearance, with Friday marking their first tourney success since 2019. Fifth-seeded Cal Poly Humboldt, which was coming off of back-to-back wins, sees its season end at 13-5-2.

CPP advances to its fourth CCAA final this Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. at Cardinale Stadium against No. 2 seed Cal State San Marcos on the CCAA Network. The Cougars posted a 1-0 triumph of their own against third-seeded Cal State LA in Friday's first semifinal. The Broncos will be vying for their second-ever CCAA Tournament banner, with the first coming back in 1999 on their way to becoming national runners-up. Sunday will mark their first conference final since 2001, and first under now-two-time CCAA Coach of the Year Jay Mason.

Sunday's victor will earn the CCAA's automatic entry into the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. The selection show can be viewed live on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 13, at 3:30 p.m. PT.

The only goal of the game came at the 18:01 mark, courtesy of a moment of magic from Cal Poly Pomona true sophomore Giselle Samayoa. Julia Lucero pounced on a loose ball and lofted it forward. Marisa Salazar gained control right around the edge of the midfield circle on CPP's offensive side, and played a square pass to Samayoa on the right flank. The Long Beach native did the rest, sprinting forward about 15 yards and unleashing a right-footed laser from 20 yards that sailed over the goalkeeper's head and into the left side of the netting. It was Samayoa's first collegiate goal, but you wouldn't know it from the quality of the strike. Her run totaled about 50 yards from inside her own half. The Broncos' very first shot attempt of the contest would go down as the winner. Salazar was awarded her first collegiate assist.

Fourth-year junior Bella Hara, who has started all 18 games and played every minute in goal in this first season as a Bronco, finished with a career-high seven saves. The Azusa Pacific transfer was named Tuesday to the All-CCAA Second Team. Hara notched her seventh individual clean sheet of 2023 and 10th as a collegian.

Making a 20th start this year in the opposite net, redshirt sophomore Carson Thomson-Terrel had three stops. CPP was out-shot for just the fifth time on the season, 13-7, including 11-3 in the second half. The Broncos took seven corner kicks to three by the 'Jacks.

After Samayoa's goal, CPP tested Thomson-Terrel and forced three saves out of her over the remaining 27 minutes of the opening half. Humboldt's only two shots of the first period were generated over the first nine minutes, with Hara denying CCAA Newcomer of the Year Emilia Long on the latter. Hara followed that with six more saves after the interval, the final one coming in the 85th on Emilie Wallin.

The Broncos had also blanked the 'Jacks in the teams' regular-season meeting to open the CCAA campaign, 2-0, on Sept. 29 in Arcata when Humboldt was previously-undefeated and nationally-ranked at No. 21.

Bronco Bits:

• Cal Poly Pomona is 60-46-21 (.555) overall and 2-4 (.333) in CCAA Tournament play under eighth-year (seventh season) head coach Jay Mason.
• The Broncos are 7-2 away from home in 2023 and 1-0 at neutral sites, with six of their seven shutouts coming outside of Pomona.
• Mason made one change to his lineup from the Nov. 2 regular-season finale, with senior Julia Lucero back in for graduate student Phoëbe Amaro.
• Graduate student Bridget Carbonneau drew her sixth start in a row.
• Bella Anderson, Auburn Burnett, Jaclyn Cuevas, Bella Hara and Liberty Ortiz all played the full 90 minutes.
• The Broncos' 11 wins are their most since they had 13 in 2019.
• CPP is 7-13 in 15 CCAA Tournament appearances all-time, including 5-6 at neutral venues, 1-0 as the No. 1 seed and 1-0 against Humboldt.
• CPP is 12-9-1 against Humboldt all-time, now with two straight wins after two losses in a row.
• The Broncos are 1-1 versus the 'Jacks at neutral sites, 1-0 in postseason matchups, and an even 4-4 under Mason.
• CPP was ranked No. 7 in Wednesday's latest official NCAA Division II West Region poll, with six teams advancing on to the regional.

CCAA Tournament matches stream live online via the CCAA Network at www.ccaanetwork.com. Fans can also download the CCAA Network app on an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, and through web streaming devices such as Amazon Fire, Roku and Apple TV. Subscribers have access to all CCAA broadcasts, both live and on-demand, for the low monthly price of $9.95. Over half of each monthly subscription purchase goes directly back to the CCAA athletics department of your choice to support the student-athlete experience. Sign-ups are available right now at each university's network portal. Just go to CCAAnetwork.com, select your favorite team at the top and click the 'Subscribe' button.

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