HAYWARD, Calif. - Fifth-year senior Max Laguna scored with just two seconds left on the clock to give No. 18 Cal Poly Pomona a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind triumph at Cal State East Bay in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's soccer match inside Pioneer Stadium on Friday evening.

With the victory, CPP improves to 7-1-2 overall and 2-0-1 in the CCAA. It remains an unbeaten 6-0-2 over its last eight. East Bay falls to 3-5-1 overall and 2-1 in league play while getting leapfrogged in the standings by the now-tied-for-first-place Broncos. The Pioneers, coming off of a road sweep last weekend to begin the conference slate, are now 1-1-1 at home after a first such loss.

Head coach Matt O'Sullivan and his squad will hope that this was just their first trip of this campaign to Pioneer Stadium on the Cal State East Bay campus, as it is the site of the semifinals and final of the 2024 CCAA Tournament next month.

Each side generated an off-target shot and a corner kick over the first six minutes of the contest, before Luke Garciduenas, the Broncos' fourth-year junior goalkeeper, denied Julian Valle in the seventh. Moments later following a Pioneer corner kick, Valle rattled the crossbar.

CPP's initial attempt on frame came from junior midfielder and top scorer Woody Angell in the 18th minute, but reigning CCAA Defensive Player of the Week Adan Corona was there in net to turn him away.

Another East Bay flurry heading toward the half-hour mark resulted in the game's first goal. Ezekiel Anaya's shot was blocked, and then Garciduenas saved another Valle effort out for a third Pioneer corner kick. From that, Eugenio Perez-Vera Merino found the back of the net at the 26:07 mark. It was the junior defender's team-best second goal of 2024 as a first-year Pioneer transfer, both coming in CCAA games. Senior forward Leon Eisert picked up his team-leading third assist.

Cal Poly Pomona thus had conceded the opening score for the third time in its last four games. The Broncos had not trailed against East Bay since the 2016 meeting, then for just 4:07 in a 1-1 double-overtime home tie.

The Pioneers nearly doubled their advantage in the 36th minute, but the defense was able to negotiate Landon Raftery's attempt for a team save. CPP was down at halftime for only the second time this season.

The visitors got off to a fast start to the second period and within 35 seconds already had forced another Corona save through Sam Lena. CPP reserve Christian Bru's 54th-minute try then banged off the left post.

At the 73:43 mark, Cal Poly Pomona had its equalizer. Angell was true with his shot to the bottom left for his single-season-best and team-leading sixth goal of 2024. Assists went to Laguna and true junior reserve forward Jakob Singh, their third and second, respectively.

The last 13 and a half minutes were high drama of the finest order, as the teams combined for 10 shots, seven of them on frame. That included a second team save by the Bronco defense in the 84th.

With the final seconds ticking down, Angell was denied by Corona. The ball went out of bounds, and from the ensuing left-sided throw-in, a defensive clearance went straight toward Laguna on one hop. His left-footed blast from the edge of the 18-yard box straight on, tickled the right-side netting with the clock showing 89:58. It was Laguna's second goal in as many matches and fourth on the year. The unassisted tally was also the Anaheim native's first game-winner of 2024.

Friday's goals were the 11th in the college days of both Angell and Laguna, and the third career decider for the latter Bronco.

Ironically, Laguna already holds the program record for quickest goal to begin a game, at just 22 seconds at CSU Pueblo on Nov. 12, 2022, in the second round of the NCAA Championship. He now almost definitively boasts the mark for latest Bronco goal in regulation, too.

Angell finished with a game- and career-high seven shots, pacing all players for the third match in a row. He is alone in first in the CCAA with 38 on the year. He has posted five or more attempts in each of the last three games and generated multiple shots in all 10 matches.

Garciduenas wound up with a season-high-tying four saves. Corona, a sophomore, had a season-best six stops in his fourth consecutive start in net for the hosts. CPP out-shot the Pioneers 15-8 in the second half and 20-16 on the night. Corner kicks were even at 5-5.

Up Next
Cal Poly Pomona now returns from the Bay Area but remains in road action this weekend, albeit a lot closer to home. The Broncos make the shorter trip south to play at Cal State San Marcos (4-2-4, 0-2-1 CCAA) on Sunday, Oct. 13, with kickoff at The Cage slated for 2 p.m. The contest caps a doubleheader with the now-second-ranked CPP women, who play at 11:30 a.m. Both matches can be viewed through FloSports.

Bronco Bits

• CPP is 58-16-20 (.723) overall under sixth-year (fifth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan, who on Sept. 22 took over the No. 1 position in the program record book for wins.
• O'Sullivan trotted out the same starting 11 for the second straight match, with junior center back Marcus Jorgensen missing for the fourth game in a row.
• O'Sullivan has used eight different starting lineups through these first 10 games.
• Luke Garciduenas, Daniel Gutierrez and tri-captains Fin Jackson and Jasper Winslow played the full 90 minutes.
• Out of 900 minutes played this season, the Broncos have trailed for 142:45.
• The Broncos had not trailed East Bay at halftime since Oct. 19, 2012, when they were behind 2-1 en route to a 2-2 double-overtime home draw.
• CPP holds a hefty 16-2-5 advantage in the all-time series against East Bay, with seven straight wins by an aggregate score of 32-2 since a 1-1 double-overtime home draw on Oct. 9, 2016.
• The Broncos are 8-1-3 against the Pioneers in Hayward, and 5-0 under O'Sullivan (2-0 on the road), boasting an aggregate margin of 24-2 in five matchups with him in charge.
• They are an undefeated 15-0-4 the last 19 times out against East Bay, since a 3-1 road loss on Sept. 19, 1992.
• CPP is 73-23-18 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 35-10-17 under O'Sullivan and 7-1-2 in 2024.
• The Broncos and Pioneers were picked second and ninth, respectively, in the CCAA preseason poll, with CPP earning one of 12 first-place votes.
• The Broncos are fourth in this week's United Soccer Coaches West Region poll.