WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Cal Poly Pomona allowed a season-high three goals and fell to host Midwestern State University, 3-0, in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship at Stang Park on Sunday afternoon.

The 23rd-ranked California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular-season co-champion Broncos conclude their remarkable 2024 season at 13-2-7 overall. Their program-record 19-match unbeaten streak also comes to an end. CPP had gone 12-0-7 since a 1-0 loss to Point Loma in San Diego back on Sept. 7.

The Broncos, the seventh seed in this 10-team Super Region 4 bracket, were making their 10th NCAA Championship appearance all-time, including a ninth straight since 2015 and fifth in five opportunities under first-year CCAA Coach of the Year Matt O'Sullivan.

Lone Star Conference Tournament champion Midwestern State, the No. 2 seed in Super Region 4, improves to 15-2-3 and a still-undefeated 8-0-1 at home, where the Mustangs will face sixth-seeded Fort Lewis College in the Super Region 4 semifinals next Sunday, Dec. 1.

Cal Poly Pomona drops to 6-2-1 in NCAA postseason contests at Stang Park all-time and 3-2 under O'Sullivan. The Broncos have had back-to-back campaigns come to an end at the venue, having lost there in the third round to CCAA rival Cal State LA last fall, 1-0. Sunday's result marked CPP's first loss to MSU, now at 1-1-1. The Broncos had twice previously given Midwestern State home NCAA heartbreak, in 2017 on penalty kicks in the national quarterfinals, and then again in 2021, 1-0.

Each team managed just one off-target shot over the first 20 minutes, before the home side produced what turned out to be the game-winner at 23:35 off the right foot of Gabriel Gacovicaj. The senior forward from Italy notched his brace following the halftime break at 52:10 to give him four goals on the season, two of them deciders. The assists went to Jaime Villagomez, his fourth, and Mere Escobar, his team-best 10th.

The Broncos' first shot on frame had come just before the intermission, but Woody Angell's attempt was saved by fellow junior Daniel Robles.

Escobar, a senior forward, made absolute sure of the outcome in the 82nd minute with his team-leading 16th of 2024 and school-record 60th of his five-year career, set up by Johan Juarez with his third assist.

Fourth-year CPP goalkeeper Luke Garciduenas and counterpart Robles collected two saves apiece. It was a fourth clean sheet on the season for the latter as a first-year Mustang, all coming over the last nine matches. MSU outshot the Broncos on the day, 21-10.

Sunday's result also marked the likely conclusion barring additional eligibility, of the college careers of 10 incredible Cal Poly Pomona student-athletes who were recognized on Senior Day at Kellogg Stadium back on Nov. 3. Those Broncos are Garciduenas, Ethan Benham, Marc Birkelund, Christian Bru, Max Laguna, Mike Moser, Eric Pearce, and tri-captains Fin Jackson, Mauro Rafael and Jasper Winslow. All 10 Broncos appeared in the match.

Bronco Bits

• Cal Poly Pomona is 64-17-25 (.722) overall and 4-5-1 (.450) in NCAA Championship play under sixth-year (fifth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan, who on Sept. 22 took over the No. 1 position in the CPP record book for wins.
• The Broncos finished 5-2-5 away from home and 4-2-4 in true road contests in 2024.
• O'Sullivan sent out the same starting lineup for the second straight game and thus used 16 different starting lineups in 22 games.
• Marc Birkelund, Daniel Gutierrez and senior tri-captain Mauro Rafael were the only three Broncos to play in all 22 contests this year.
• Woody Angell and Luke Garciduenas played the full 90 minutes.
• Out of 2,000 minutes played this season, the Broncos trailed for only 261:52.
• CPP allowed multiple goals for just the fourth time in its 22 matches.
• This was the fourth straight year that CPP produced an unbeaten streak of double-digit games.
• CPP is 16-10-3 after its 10th NCAA Championship appearance all-time, including 5-3-1 in the second round and 3-5-1 in true road matches.
• CPP is 77-24-23 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 39-11-22 under O'Sullivan and 11-2-7 in 2024.