POMONA - Friday night at Kellogg Stadium featured a key showdown of top-10-ranked and unbeaten California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) heavyweights, with No. 9 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 3 Chico State playing to a highly-entertaining 2-2 deadlock.

In kicking off a season-long three-match home stand, CPP moves to 6-0-3 overall and 2-0-1 in the CCAA. Chico State is now 8-0-2 overall and 1-0-2 in league play. The Broncos had come in as winners of five in a row. Friday marked the first known instance, with national-ranking information going back to 2002, where CPP was a top-10-ranked program facing another team currently in the top 10.

The sides traded goals in each half, with the hosts first onto the scoreboard just 8:13 into the contest. After a defensive clearance, CPP regained possession and Melvyn Perez Cortez centered in from the left edge of the 18-yard box. Captain Cesar Ruvalcaba's back header found the foot of the wrong man as far as Chico State was concerned, as senior All-American forward Paul Roger Henschke took a couple of settling touches before pounding a right-footed shot low from seven yards into the back of the net past goalie Emanuel Padilla. His fifth goal gave Ruvalcaba a third assist and Perez Cortez his first of 2023.

Chico State was credited with its first shot of the night in the 21st, as Justin Ricketts, who had just come on two minutes prior, got a glancing header to a left-sided throw-in that Luke Garciduenas had to reach high to parry away. The true junior was hurt on the play, but would continue.

Then in the 30th minute, the visitors tallied their first equalizer on an absolute laser from Preston Moll. A right-sided free kick bounced around in the penalty area and came out to Moll, who unleashed a left-footer from 23 yards out that hit the right netting on the fly. It was the junior's fourth goal on the season.

Mike Moser came close to regaining a one-goal edge for CPP heading toward the interval in the 43rd, but was just wide of the left post from the top of the 18-yard box with his right foot.

The Broncos were in the ascendancy for much of the second half, and had the better of the chances at a second goal. Ruvalcaba, who was playing further up the field on this night, had a long-distance shot that troubled Padilla in the 53rd. Mads Frederiksen went on a nice individual run in the 60th before his right-footed shot whizzed just high of the mark. Later, Kevin Hernandez had a free kick that also narrowly missed.

CPP got what it hoped would be the late winner at 77:48. Sam Lena dribbled from just inside his own half toward the opposing penalty area and cleverly slipped Henschke through, who in turn played a stellar pass across the goal mouth. Jakob Singh, like Lena a true sophomore forward and the reigning CCAA Offensive Player of the Week after Sunday's brace at Sonoma State, was in the right spot by the right post to knock in his own fifth goal of the season. The assists were Henschke's CCAA- and career-best seventh, and Lena's fourth.

The euphoria would only last 17 seconds, however, as right from the kickoff, Bryan Manriquez crossed into the box from the left flank, and Miles Rice the CCAA's joint leading goal-scorer with seven at the start of the day, put a header on goal. Garciduenas made an incredible save, but Vas Syrengelas was able to turn in the rebound to make it 2-2 with his first major college goal.

CPP virtually pelted the Chico State goal in search of a decider. Ruvalcaba had a pair of chances, the latter a header from a corner kick that was cleared off the line by a Wildcat defender. A final Max Laguna corner was headed over the bar by Marcus Jorgensen as the last seconds ticked away on an as-advertised matchup. The Broncos held a 19-6 advantage in shots, including 15-2 in the second half.

Garciduenas was credited with a single save in his seventh start between the CPP posts of 2023 and fifth in succession. Fellow junior Padilla, a first-year transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College and one-time CCAA Defensive Player of the Week last month, was credited with a season-high-tying six saves in a 10th straight start for the 'Cats.

Chico State (20 goals) and CPP (19) came in as the CCAA's second- and third-highest scoring squads. The 'Cats and Broncos also ranked first (two) and third (five), respectively, in fewest goals allowed.

The Broncos remain at home and host Stanislaus State (3-6-1, 0-2-1 CCAA) this Sunday afternoon, Oct. 8. Kickoff at Kellogg Stadium is slated for 2 p.m., after the women's contest at 11:30 a.m.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 43-13-16 (.708) overall and 26-3-8 (.811) in CCAA play under fifth-year (fourth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan ... The Broncos are 2-0-2 at home in 2023, and 2-0-2 in CCAA home openers with O'Sullivan in charge ... First-year Louisville transfer Marcus Jorgensen drew his first start in central defense after making his CPP debut last Sunday in Rohnert Park ... Jorgensen, Jasper Winslow, goalie Luke Garciduenas and Fin Jackson, making his third straight start in central defense, played the full 90 minutes … CPP has scored in the opening 10 minutes five times this season, and has now struck first in seven consecutive matches ... CPP has still not been blanked in the first half since its season-opening scoreless home draw with Biola on Aug. 31 ... Paul Roger Henschke has 24 goals, 15 assists and 63 total points for his career, moving into sole possession of fifth in the CPP record book in goals and points, while advancing into a tie for seventh in assists ... All eight of Jakob Singh's shot attempts in 2023 have been on frame ... CPP leads the all-time series, 15-13-2, having entered Friday a winner of five straight matchups (last four via shutout), and 8-4-1 in Pomona ... The Broncos are 3-0-1 against the 'Cats under O'Sullivan (1-0-1 at home) ... CPP had blanked Chico State for 447:41 until Preston Moll's first-half equalizer, since late in the first half of a 3-2 double-overtime triumph in Chico on Oct. 13, 2017 ... The Broncos moved up four more spots, from No. 13 to a season-best No. 9, in Tuesday's latest United Soccer Coaches Division II national poll ... Chico State and CPP are currently 1-2 in the United Soccer Coaches West Region listing ... CPP is 58-20-14 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 20-7-13 under O'Sullivan and 6-0-3 in 2023 ... The Broncos are 23-36-12 against nationally-ranked opponents, also since 2002, and 6-10-5 with O'Sullivan in charge ... They are 4-9-4 in that stretch against top-five foes (1-3-2 with O'Sullivan) ... CPP is the CCAA favorite, while Chico State was picked for fifth in the preseason poll ... CPP is an unbeaten 3-0-2 in its last five CCAA home openers going back to a 1-0 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sept. 15, 2017.

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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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