ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - Tara Oper's clever strike just past the half-hour mark was all Cal Poly Pomona needed to get past Sonoma State University, 1-0, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's soccer action Sunday at Seawolf Soccer Field.

With the victory, CPP improves to 4-2-2 overall and 2-0 in the CCAA. Sonoma State, the three-time reigning conference regular-season champion, drops to 2-4-2 overall and 0-2 in league play. The Broncos are now an unbeaten 3-0-1 over their last four, while the Seawolves are a winless 0-3-1 during the same stretch with three losses in a row.

The result marked Cal Poly Pomona's first win in Rohnert Park since a 1-0 decision on Oct. 26, 2014, and first success there under eighth-year head coach Jay Mason. It was the Broncos' first win over the Seawolves anywhere in nearly six years, since a 1-0 double-overtime home victory on Oct. 8, 2017.

The home side had a shot from relatively in close within the first five minutes that went high of the frame. The Broncos then dodged a bullet in the 28th minute, as SSU leading goal-scorer Annette Sotelo got to a left-sided cross ahead of CPP goalie Bella Hara. The ball was clearly going to trickle over the goal line, but true freshman Mikaela Marr was able to track back in time to get a foot to it. The ball actually glanced off the left post, with sophomore Liberty Ortiz sweeping it over the end line for an SSU corner kick.

The game's lone goal came at the 32:16 mark. Oper ran onto a long through ball over the top from Auburn Burnett, saw that Seawolf goalie Lolo Retsky was off of her line, and from 18 yards with a defender on her, lifted a right-footed shot that went over Retsky and found the back of the net. The sophomore net-minder actually got a hand to it as she backpedalled, but couldn't keep it out. It went down as Oper's second collegiate goal, both coming in 2023 for the junior forward. The assist was first-year Bronco Burnett's first major college point.

CPP squandered a great chance to double its lead in the 61st minute. A right-sided cross found the hand of a Seawolf defender and the match official pointed to the penalty spot. Bailey McNitt's right-footed attempt unbelievably hit off the inside of the right post, then went across the goal mouth and glanced off the left post as well before new SSU goalie Claudia Janese smothered it.

In the 65th, Julia Lucero was also denied by the woodwork, as the senior's shot with the outside of her left foot from a tight angle on the left following a Jaclyn Cuevas pass, found the right post.

Hara, a fourth-year junior and first-year Azusa Pacific transfer, made her eighth start in a row in the CPP net and collected three saves for her third individual shutout of 2023 and sixth of her college career. Retsky, in her first start as a first-year Seawolf following a transfer from Hawai'i Hilo, had two stops. Janese took over for the second half and got her hands to two saves, both within the first seven minutes on McNitt and Cuevas. The Broncos led 13-7 in shots at the end of the 90.

The Broncos now return to Pomona and await their CCAA home opener on Friday, Oct. 6, against Chico State (6-2-1, 1-0-1 CCAA). Kickoff at Kellogg Stadium is set for 4:30 p.m., with the top-15-ranked men's teams facing off at 7 p.m.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 53-44-20 (.538) overall and 32-24-16 (.556) in CCAA play under eighth-year (seventh season) head coach Jay Mason ... The Broncos are 3-1 on the road in 2023 ... Mason started the same 11 for the second game in a row on this trip ... Senior Julia Lucero drew a fourth straight start and fifth as a Bronco ... True freshman Mikaela Marr earned her third consecutive start ... Bella Anderson, Bella Hara and Liberty Ortiz played the full 90 minutes ... CPP is 9-24-5 against Sonoma State all-time, having Sunday snapped strings of two straight losses and a winless 0-4-1 mark over the previous five meetings ... The Broncos are 3-14-2 versus the Seawolves in Rohnert Park, and 2-5-1 under Mason (1-4-1 on the road) ... CPP and Sonoma State were favored to place fourth and second, respectively, in the CCAA preseason poll.

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Home matches and CCAA away contests stream live online via the CCAA Network at www.ccaanetwork.com. Fans can also download the CCAA Network app on an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, and through web streaming devices such as Amazon Fire, Roku and Apple TV. Subscribers have access to all CCAA broadcasts, both live and on-demand, for the low monthly price of $9.95. Over half of each monthly subscription purchase goes directly back to the CCAA athletics department of your choice to support the student-athlete experience. Sign-ups are available right now at each university's network portal. Just go to CCAAnetwork.com, select your favorite team at the top and click the 'Subscribe' button.

Tickets are on sale now for all CPP home matches. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online prior to coming to campus at broncoathletics.com/tickets, or by downloading the HomeTown Fan app on your smartphone or tablet. Again this year, only debit and credit cards will be accepted at the box office for admission. Limited concession items will be on sale on-site as well, with the concession stand also only accepting debit and credit cards.

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