LOS ANGELES – There is a saying that reads "Winners want the ball when the game is on the line." Those words rang true on Saturday for Bronco forward Melissa Martinez, as a second half goal boosted the CPP squad into the lead.

With the CPP fandom's chant of "I believe that we will win" still ringing fresh, the Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer team secured a 1-0 victory over the No. 5 Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles. The win marks the first time in 15 years that the CPP squad has made it past the second round in the NCAA playoffs. Preventing CSULA from scoring also marked the 13th shutout for the Broncos, which ties a program record that has been held since 1999. 
 
CPP, with the win, improves to an overall record of 15-5-1 on the year. The victory also marks the fifth time that CPP has defeated a nationally ranked team this season. Up next, the Broncos will challenge Cal State Stanislaus in the NCAA Third Round and also the West Region title game. Kickoff in Golden, Colo., is set for 1:30 p.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Mountain).

"It was a fantastic win," said head coach Mike Dibbini on Saturday. "I am so proud of the women. We had a game plan, and they stuck to it all game. We played with a different intensity today, and we know that the level of support we recieve from our fans plays a huge part in that. The ladies wanted to win this one for the guys, and they succeeded."
 
Half number one proved to be a strong half for both teams' defenses, as the Golden Eagles' nine shots ended in five saves for Ricki Ives. The freshman keeper added a stellar save in the final minutes off of a corner kick turned header in favor of Cal State LA.
 
Melissa Martinez, Daisy Duran, and Rachel Killigrew all attempted to put the Broncos on the board with shots, however the nationally ranked Los Angeles defense stopped CPP short. CSULA goalie Yi Du collected a save on a bullet by Martinez to keep the Broncos off of the board.
 
Entering halftime, the two squads remained blanked as the defensive battle prevailed over the offensive back-and-forth.
 
In the early minutes of the second half, both net-minders had to prove their worth yet again as shots neared the nets while the offenses continued to apply pressure.
 
After much back-and-forth from the two offenses, the Broncos' holder of second place in goals scored Melissa Martinez took advantage of an opportunity that put the CPP squad on the board. With the ball bouncing around outside the  penalty box, the junior from Riverside sent a long shot that ticked off the crossbar and bounced behind the Golden Eagles keeper.
 
With Martinez' goal, the Broncos took a 1-0 lead with right around 17 minutes left on the clock.
 
Through the half, CPP continued their offensive onslaught as they took a few more shots in a valiant attempt to put a security goal on the board. At the end of regulation however, the Broncos only needed the goal by Martinez to send them to the next round of the NCAA playoffs.