ARCATA, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos delivered a thrilling second-half performance, overcoming an early deficit to dominate the Stanislaus State Warriors 5-1 in the CCAA Soccer Tournament semifinals. The victory comes just weeks after the Warriors handed the Broncos their only loss of the season, and this time, the Broncos left no doubt with a five-goal second-half explosion.
Stanislaus State took control early, breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute with a well-placed strike that put the Broncos behind 1-0. Cal Poly Pomona struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, and despite several attempts they went into the break still trailing by a goal.
The second half, however, was a different story. Cal Poly Pomona came out equalized quickly. Vanessa Cruz, who had been a constant threat throughout the match, scored the equalizer just five minutes after halftime, finding the net in the 50th minute to make it 1-1.
From there, the floodgates opened. Angelina Rivas gave the Broncos the lead in the 59th minute, and just minutes later, Tara Oper extended the advantage to 3-1 with a goal in the 62nd. The Broncos continued to pile on the pressure as Rivas netted her second of the game in the 74th minute. Kiarra D'Arcangelo put the finishing touch on the dominant performance with a goal in the 76th minute, capping off a brilliant attacking display from the Broncos.
In net, Bella Hara was steady, playing 77 minutes and recording two saves to help keep the Warriors at bay. Kat Aguayo came on for the final 13 minutes, earning one save to maintain the Broncos' four-goal lead and secure the comfortable win. Defensively, the Broncos limited Stanislaus State to just five shots, four of which were on target; while the Broncos' offense was in full flow, registering 25 shots, 15 of which were on goal.
Up Next
The Broncos advance to the CCAA Tournament Championship Game on Sunday, November 17th at 11:00 AM PST in Arcata, Calif.
Bronco Bits
- Jay Mason is now 76-48-23 as a head coach of the Broncos.
- The Broncos continue their best start in program history with a record of 16-1-2 overall.
- Vanessa Cruz scored her 11th goal of the season. This enters the record book in 10th place for the program.
- Tara Oper is one assist away from entering the record book in the number of assists in a season.
- The Broncos are one win away from tying the program record for most wins in a season.
- This will be the Broncos 4th CCAA Finals appearance.
Latest All Athletics News
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- Broncos Win the CCAA TournamentThe Cal Poly Pomona Broncos triumphed 2-0 over Cal State East Bay in the CCAA Conference Championship game, securing their first CCAA tournament title since 1999. With the win, the Broncos also earned an automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional Tournament, marking the 200th NCAA appearance in school history.
- Women’s Basketball Wins Third Straight, Defeat Hope International 75-52Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball cruised to a 75-52 victory at Hope International on Saturday afternoon, improving to 3-1 to start the season. This was just the second meeting all-time between the two teams, the Broncos winning both games on the road.
- Eagles Outscore the Broncos in Home OpenerThe Cal Poly Pomona Broncos suffered a narrow 83-79 loss to the Biola Eagles in a hard-fought contest on Saturday. Despite a strong start and key contributions from several players, the Broncos couldn't hold off a late surge from the Eagles, who took control in the final moments.
- Volleyball Secures First Outright CCAA Title in Program History on Dahl’s 100th WinCal Poly Pomona volleyball head coach Traci Dahl collected her 100th win at CPP on Saturday afternoon, defeating San Francisco State by a score of 3-1. With the win, the No. 3 ranked Broncos break the program record for most CCAA wins in a season at 17, while also securing their first outright regular season title in program history.
- No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona Holds Off East Bay to Move Back Into CCAA Tournament Final on SundayHAYWARD, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona trotted out to a 3-0 advantage by halftime but was made to hang on in the end to eliminate Cal State East Bay, 3-2, in a semifinal match of the 2024 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Soccer Tournament presented by FloCollege on Friday evening at Pioneer Stadium.