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Cal Poly Pomona Athletics

Brandon Cortez
Brandon Cortez (9) and the Broncos will start conference play on Friday at Cal State L.A., a squad ranked 21st nationally.

Broncos Finish Road Trip with 4-0 Win Over Dominican

9/7/2013 8:40:00 PM

Box Score | SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer team passed two PacWest challenges this weekend and now, it's on to the true tests.

Two days after a 3-1 win over Holy Names to start the 2013 season, the Broncos returned to action Saturday afternoon and rallied for a 4-0 victory at Dominican to complete a successful road trip to Northern California.

Next up for CPP (2-0) is the start of conference play, which begins Friday with a road match at Cal State L.A. The Golden Eagles (1-0) are ranked 21st nationally.

The Broncos put pressure on Dominican Saturday early and often. In the 13th minute, senior Jesus Mitre caught a Penguins' defender off balance and found teammate Daniel Garcia Jr. for an easy goal. It was Garcia's first goal as a Bronco.

Later in the half, freshman Luis Najera Jr. knocked in a score after getting assists from Brandon Cortez and Michael Torres.

The CPP showcase of balanced offense continued in the second half as Leonel Espinoza assisted Najera on his second goal of the game and third of the weekend. His second-half score came via a long blast from 35 yards out.

In the 71st minute, the Broncos organized a stellar set piece off a corner kick that resulted in a goal for Ian Trantow. On the play, Cortez collected his second assist of the contest and third this week. For Trantow, it marked the third goal of his career.

The CPP defense delivered key plays in front of starting goalkeeper Andrew Todd. In the first half, a Dominican attacker dribbled along the baseline and took a shot that seemed destined to cross the line. Jose Ortega helped Todd and cleared the ball out just in time.

Espinoza, Elliott Bonde and Justyn Peeples joined Ortega with the strong play on the back line as the Broncos limited the Penguins to just three shots, all of which came in the opening half.

After outscoring their opponents 7-1 through the first two games, the Broncos will now shift their focus to California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action and the tough tests that it'll bring.