POMONA - Eleventh-ranked Cal Poly Pomona got a goal off the bench late in each half and played solid in the back to down Cal State San Marcos, 2-0, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's soccer match Sunday at Kellogg Stadium.

With a fourth straight victory, CPP improved to 11-1-4 overall after 16 games for back-to-back years, and 7-1-2 in the CCAA. A second 2-0 loss in a row dropped CSUSM to 7-7-3 overall and 4-4-2 in league play.

The day had started with CPP alone in second and Cal State San Marcos in sole possession of fifth in the conference table, Cal Poly Pomona having already clinched a ninth consecutive CCAA Tournament berth following Friday's results. The Broncos are now assured of a first-round bye a week from today, and advance straight into the semifinal round all the way back up in Arcata on Friday, Nov. 10, as the event's No. 2 seed. Later Sunday, No. 4 Cal State LA also won 2-0 at Cal Poly Humboldt, to clinch the CCAA regular-season banner and No. 1 tourney seed.

Eight outstanding Broncos were recognized prior to kickoff on Senior Day at Kellogg Stadium, in All-Americans Paul Roger Henschke, Melvyn Perez Cortez and captain Cesar Ruvalcaba, alongside Thomas Guei, Kevin Hernandez, Melvin Leon, Christian Miramontes and goalkeeper CJ Walker. All eight started the contest.

In the early going just eight and a half minutes in, Henschke had a goal disallowed as he was offside. Moments later, Justin Carreon registered the game's first shot for the visitors, but was wide to the left. After Hernandez's close-range shot off the left post was also blown dead for offside, CPP's first actual attempt was a Fin Jackson header off a long Perez Cortez throw-in in the 15th, but it sailed high and to the right.

A pair of Bronco reserves then combined on the go-ahead strike at 30:26. Woody Angell, the CCAA Offensive Player of the Week earlier this month, released the ball near the right flank, maneuvered across the field, and asked for a through ball into the penalty area on the left side. Mike Moser delivered the pass, perfectly on the ground, and Angell tucked his left-footer from a tight angle into the bottom right corner for his third goal of the season and CPP career. It was Moser's fourth assist. Both players entered the pitch together in the 25th minute. The goal was ultimately Angell's first collegiate decider.

The home side later had a second goal ruled out, this time by a foul against the CSUSM goalie. That chance also came from a long throw by Perez Cortez. The Broncos took their narrow 1-0 edge into the interval.

CPP would finally grab its clincher at 78:28 with the two Christians linking up at the end of a fine team sequence. Perez Cortez passed from the middle out to the left for Miramontes, who played it back to junior Mikey Sedano. Sedano then sent a clever, cutting pass into the center again for reigning CCAA Offensive Player of the Week Jasper Winslow, who hit Miramontes on the wing again. The sixth-year outside back took a couple of touches before whipping a great left-footed cross to the far post, where Christian Bru provided an incredible flying right-footed volley from the edge of the six-yard box high into the back of the net. The junior midfielder's first collegiate goal marked his first college points. It was a second assist in 2023 and 11th career for Miramontes.

Walker, the reigning first-time CCAA Defensive Player of the Week, finished with one save in his fifth start in succession. The Moorpark product picked up his second clean sheet this season and 11th for his four-year college career. Fifth-year junior Jesus Mentado came up with two stops in his 12th start of 2023 in the opposite goal. The Broncos held a narrow 9-6 advantage in shots and took five corner kicks over the 90 minutes to none by the visitors.

The Broncos travel to nearby rival Cal State San Bernardino to conclude the 2023 regular season this Thursday afternoon, Nov. 2. Kickoff at Premier Field is set for 11:30 a.m., with the women's game at 2 p.m.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 48-14-17 (.715) overall and 31-4-9 (.807) in CCAA play under fifth-year (fourth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan ... The Broncos are 5-1-2 at home in 2023, with four of their eight shutouts coming there ... Paul Roger Henschke is the only Bronco to start all 16 matches this season ... CJ Walker's start was his 22nd in the green and gold ... Senior defender Thomas Guei started for the first time since Sept. 23, in place of first-year Louisville transfer Marcus Jorgensen, who had begun the previous seven ... Jakob Singh started for the second time in three games in place of fellow sophomore forward Mads Frederiksen ... Walker and Fin Jackson played the full 90 minutes ... Of CPP's 16 games in 2023, it has scored first in 13 (shut out twice) ... The Broncos are the CCAA's top scoring offense, now at 42 goals over 16 contests (2.63 per game) ... Mike Moser now has seven helpers as a second-year Bronco ... CPP leads this all-time series, 6-1-4, and is an undefeated 6-0-4 in the last 10 meetings since a 2-1 road loss in the teams' first-ever matchup on Aug. 25, 2006 ... The Broncos are 4-0-1 against the Cougars in Pomona and 2-0-2 under O'Sullivan (1-0-1 at home) ... The Broncos moved up one spot in Tuesday's latest United Soccer Coaches Division II national poll, to No. 11, and as of Wednesday's first official NCAA Division II regional polls, are among 12 teams in consideration for 10 berths from Super Region 4 for the 2023 NCAA Championship ... CPP is 63-21-15 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 25-8-14 under O'Sullivan and 11-1-4 in 2023 ... CPP was the CCAA favorite, with CSUSM picked for eighth in the preseason poll ... Fourth-year CPP assistant coach Kevin McCarthy was up against his former team, having aided long-time CSUSM head coach Ron Pulvers for three seasons from 2017-19 ... Current Bronco Mauro Rafael started all 16 games at CSUSM in 2019.

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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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