By Erik Carr
BroncoAthletics.com

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This CCAA game was eventually forfeited by Humboldt State due to a penalty for hazing, therefore, this game was later recognized as a non-CCAA contest.)

ARCATA, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer team returned to the win column Friday with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Lumberjacks of Humboldt State at College Creek Field.

The Broncos improve to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. With the loss, the Lumberjacks fall to both an overall and conference record of 0-1.

While both goalkeepers each made five saves and played throughout regulation, junior goalkeeper Sarah Rohman earned the win for the Broncos and climbs to 2-2 for the season. HSU senior goalkeeper Jennie Paugh drops to 0-1.

Holding on to a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute, senior forward Angela Garcia slotted a ball to junior midfielder Samantha Stiles, who dribbled the ball past Paugh and knocked it into the net for the insurance goal. It was Stiles' first one this season.

HSU did not lower its offensive effort in the face of the two-goal deficit. Just two minutes after Stiles' goal, senior defender/midfielder Carly Kolpin attempted to cut the two-goal deficit in half by firing a shot right at Rohman, who saved the ball from crossing the goal plane.

Perhaps the Lumberjacks' closest chance at ending the shutout occurred in the 67th minute, when sophomore forward Colette Behen kicked a shot-on-goal. Unfortunately for HSU, the shot banged off the crossbar while the Lumberjacks' score count remained at zero. Behen attempted one more shot 15 minutes later, which Rohman saved.

The Lumberjacks tried to end the shutout in the game's final second with redshirt freshman forward Karley Pate's shot, but it met the same fate as four others: a save for Rohman.

The Broncos stormed into Lumberjacks territory in the first half and needed little time to end their scoring drought. Shortly after fielding freshman forward Kristi Susca's crossover pass in the six-yard box, redshirt senior midfielder Veronica Ramos placed the ball in the net to give CPP an early 1-0 lead at the 5:25 mark. It was all the Broncos needed as they successfully held HSU scoreless for more than 84 minutes.

The game came close to being tied twice within seconds in the 23rd minute when Lumberjacks sophomore midfielder Lizzie Mitchell kicked a shot off the post. Six seconds later, Behen attempted a shot, but it was wide. Behen had two more that were also wide in the 34th and 43rd minutes.

The first half's final shot-on-goal could have changed the dynamic of the game and shifted the momentum in the Lumberjacks' favor, but Rohman challenged sophomore forward Maddi Null's shot  and blocked it to maintain CPP's one-goal cushion into halftime.

HSU kept Rohman busy in the first half, getting off 12 shots. For their part, the Broncos let off five. For the game, the Lumberjacks had two shots for every Bronco shot (22-11). However, the Broncos were more accurate in their shooting, besting the Lumberjacks in the shot-on-goal count, 7-5.

The Broncos play the fourth and final game of their road trip 2 p.m. Sunday at No. 6 Sonoma State (5-0, 3-0 CCAA) of the CCAA North Division. The Lumberjacks finish their weekend hosting San Francisco State (1-3, 0-3 CCAA) on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.