POMONA, Calif. - Sixth-ranked Cal Poly Pomona put four past the posts in the first half hour and eased over No. 21 Cal State Monterey Bay, 4-1, in a second-round match of the 2023 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday night inside Kellogg Stadium.

With the victory, Super Region 4 No. 3 seed Cal Poly Pomona improves to 14-1-5 overall and 6-1-2 at home this season. The Broncos, making their eighth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance, remain an unbeaten 7-0-2 over their last nine contests. Sixth-seeded CSUMB sees its 2023 campaign concluded at a program-best 12-5-4

The nationally-ranked California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rivals had just faced off eight days ago in Arcata in the semifinals of the conference tournament, with CPP tallying two goals in the first 10 minutes and holding on for a 2-1 triumph. The Broncos also earned a 3-1 road win over the Otters in Seaside in their regular-season meeting back on Oct. 22.

A familiar foe, to say the least, awaits in the third round following this week's Thanksgiving holiday, as fourth-ranked and second-seeded CCAA regular-season champion Cal State LA (17-1-2) edged No. 10 seed Point Loma 1-0 at home around the same time through a lone second-half tally. Just like with the Otters, the Broncos will be taking on the Golden Eagles for the third time in 2023, as they dropped a 1-0 home decision in the regular season on Oct. 12 (CPP's last loss), before the fierce rivals played to a scoreless draw through 110 minutes in last Sunday's CCAA Tournament final. Cal State LA lifted the trophy by virtue of a 4-3 edge in the penalty-kick tiebreaker.

The exact date, time and even location of that contest are yet to be determined. Should second-ranked and top-seeded Midwestern State advance past 10th-ranked No. 8 seed Fort Lewis in a game that kicks off at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday, it would host Cal State LA and CPP in Wichita Falls, Texas, either on Thursday, Nov. 30, or Friday, Dec. 1. Should the undefeated (19-0-1) Mustangs falter tomorrow, Cal State LA would host the Broncos at its University Stadium.

All of the night's scoring in Pomona occurred over the first 31 minutes. Just 5:15 in, Woody Angell took a pass from Jasper Winslow and from about 30 yards away straight on, took a right-footed swing at the ball. It wasn't entirely clear if it was a pass or shot attempt, but it ended up going right to teammate Paul Roger Henschke in between two defenders. The senior All-American forward was able to negotiate the settle better than the two Otters draped on him, and ultimately slotted a right-footed shot through the legs of one of them and into the bottom left corner for another early 1-0 Bronco lead. Henschke's team-best 10th goal of 2023 makes him the CCAA's joint total points leader, now with 28. It was Angell's sixth assist.

The goal marked the eighth game this season in which CPP opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes. In all in 2023, the Broncos have scored first in 16 of their 20 matches (shut out three times). They have produced 11 goals within the first 10 minutes and 19 over the first 20. CPP scored in the first 15 minutes of all three matchups with CSUMB.

In the 14th minute, Cesar Ruvalcaba's right-sided cross was headed out over the end line by a CSUMB defender for a corner kick. The senior All-American captain then made a clever run to the near post to get a glancing header onto Mike Moser's ensuing corner, finding the right-side netting from six yards for 2-0. It would go down as Ruvalcaba's first collegiate game-winning goal at the 13:26 mark.

Mads Frederiksen headed Melvyn Perez Cortez's long throw-in from the right side off the right post from six yards again in the 18th. Just over a minute later, Moser displayed some fancy footwork and considerable skill before banging his left-footer from 19 yards off the crossbar.

At 19:22, it was finally indeed 3-0, as Moser and Ruvalcaba hooked up a second time on a perfectly-drawn-up set piece. This time it was a free kick following an Otter foul on the right side. With Max Laguna involved in some deception, Moser finally whipped in a right-footer with Ruvalcaba once more making a killer near-post run. His right-foot stab found the near-side netting with the CSUMB defense helpless to stop it. All three of Ruvalcaba's collegiate goals have come this season, all against the Otters over the last month. Moser's first multiple-assist game as a Bronco gives him six helpers in 2023 and nine in a CPP uniform.

If the result wasn't done and dusted already, it was in the 27th. Laguna's right-sided corner kick was headed out by an Otter, right to Melvin Leon. The junior's hopeful first-timed right-footer low from 20 yards somehow managed to find its way through all of the traffic and across the goal line for 4-0. It was Leon's third of the season. The Cal State Fullerton transfer hadn't even been on the field for two minutes yet.

Cal State Monterey Bay was able to pull only one goal back, that at 31:00 from the penalty spot thanks to Hugo Vargas-Rios after a Bronco foul in the penalty box. It was the senior's second goal of the year.

Fourth-year senior CPP goalkeeper CJ Walker finished with one save in his ninth successive start. Jack Blickenstaff, a fourth-year sophomore, had three stops for CSUMB. The Broncos wound up with an 18-6 shot advantage. They allowed just four attempts in the second half, none of them on frame.

CPP Press Conference:
Head coach Matt O'Sullivan and senior All-Americans Paul Roger Henschke and Cesar Ruvalcaba


Bronco Bits:

• CPP is 51-14-18 (.723) overall, 3-3-1 (.500) in NCAA Championship play and 6-4-4 (.571) in postseason action under fifth-year (fourth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan.
• O'Sullivan sent out the same starting 11 for the fourth match in a row.
• CJ Walker's start was his 26th in the green and gold.
• Paul Roger Henschke is the lone Bronco to start all 20 games, and he has begun 24 straight going back to late last season.
• Walker, Fin Jackson, Marcus Jorgensen, Melvyn Perez Cortez, Cesar Ruvalcaba and Jasper Winslow played the full 90 minutes.
• The Broncos are the CCAA's top scoring offense, at 50 goals over 20 matches (2.50 per game).
• Henschke has 29 goals, 16 assists and 74 total points for his career, still standing alone in fourth in the CPP record book in both goals and points, and seventh in assists.
• CPP is 15-8-3 in its ninth NCAA Championship appearance all-time, including 5-2-1 in the second round, 2-1 at home and 1-0 against CSUMB.
• CPP has dominated this series with a 16-3-2 record all-time against CSUMB since 2004, including 11 straight victories since a 3-1 home setback on Oct. 25, 2013.
• Saturday marked the second postseason meeting between these sides, both coming this month.
• The Broncos are 8-2-1 versus the Otters at home and a still-perfect 6-0 under O'Sullivan (3-0 in Pomona).
• CPP is 66-21-16 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 28-8-15 under O'Sullivan and 14-1-5 in 2023.
• The Broncos are 26-37-13 against nationally-ranked opponents, also since 2002, 9-11-6 with O'Sullivan in charge, and 4-1-2 this season (3-0 vs. CSUMB).

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