AZUSA, Calif. - The No. 15 Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer team struck twice within the first 15 minutes, added a clincher just seconds from halftime, and went on to rout Azusa Pacific University, 4-0, on Saturday night at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

With a second consecutive shutout triumph on the road, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) preseason favorite CPP improves to a still-unbeaten 3-0-2. Azusa Pacific falls to 1-3-1, including 1-2-1 against CCAA opposition. The Cougars were picked fifth in the 11-team Pacific West Conference (PacWest).

Cal Poly Pomona took the lead just 7:10 into the contest. A ball was played in from the left edge of the 18-yard box. An Azusa Pacific defender looked to almost be shielding it out of bounds, but Paul Roger Henschke was able to reach it and provide a deft tap-back pass away from the end line. Kevin Hernandez was in the right spot to deliver a first-touch, right-footed cracker from a tough angle into the upper right corner. It was the fourth-year junior's first goal this season and sixth of his college days, while the assist was Henschke's league-leading fifth.

Moments later, CPP almost made it 2-0. Mads Frederiksen sent a stellar through ball into the penalty area that Max Laguna ran onto, but his left-footed effort from nine yards was saved by Leo Moreno.

In the 15th minute, it in fact was 2-0. Moreno saved Henschke's right-footed shot from 18 yards with difficulty by his right post, but only out for a corner kick on the left side. That ensuing kick, by Laguna, was cleared via header by a Cougar defender, but headed right back into the mix and immediately flicked on with another header by senior captain Cesar Ruvalcaba. The ball bounced once before Henschke settled with his chest and with a second touch, hammered a right-footed shot from six yards that smacked off the underside of the crossbar and landed over the goal line for the senior forward's team-best third goal of 2023. Only Ruvalcaba was given an assist, his first.

The home side nearly pulled one back in the 32nd minute, but true junior goalie Luke Garciduenas rose high to tip a left-footed direct free kick by Juancarlos Rodriguez from 23 yards over the crossbar for a corner kick.

CPP effectively put the result out of doubt with under a minute left before the halftime whistle. Jakob Singh, who came on for Henschke in the 33rd minute, nodded on a perfectly-chipped pass into the box by Mike Moser that Moreno saved, but the true sophomore forward tapped home the rebound right-footed from close range for his second goal on the year and a cozy 3-0 bulge at the break.

That was more than enough offense for the Broncos on this night, but they added a fourth in the 69th minute. True sophomore Sam Lena went on a great dribbling run from the left sideline, all the way into the box near the goal line, before pulling a pass back on the ground that found Frederiksen in the middle. The sophomore Dane's left-footed shot from about eight yards hit the left-side netting for his third of 2023 to match Henschke atop the CPP scoring chart. Lena's assist was his second.

Garciduenas drew his third start of 2023 and first since Sept. 2 for CPP, and finished with three saves for his second individual clean sheet of the year and third as a collegian. Moreno, a sixth-year senior, APU graduate student and preseason All-PacWest pick, was credited with five stops. The Broncos collected 14 shots to nine by the hosts.

Cal Poly Pomona concludes its non-conference schedule next Saturday night, Sept. 23, against 21st-ranked CCAA and area rival Cal State San Bernardino (3-0-2). Kickoff at Kellogg Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. to cap off a CPP soccer doubleheader, as the women take on the Yotes at 4:30 p.m. Neither contest will count toward the teams' league record.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 40-13-15 (.699) overall under fifth-year (fourth season) head coach Matt O'Sullivan ... The Broncos are 2-0-1 away from home in 2023 with two shutouts ... Luke Garciduenas and fourth-year junior defender Jasper Winslow played the full 90 minutes ... Kevin Hernandez has five career game-winning goals ... Paul Roger Henschke now has 22 goals, 13 assists and 57 total points for his career, moving into sole possession of seventh in the CPP record book in goals, and sixth in points ... Cesar Ruvalcaba's assist was the fourth of his career and first since Sept. 23, 2022 ... Mike Moser's assist on the third third goal was his first this season and fourth as a Bronco ... CPP is 15-8-1 against Azusa Pacific all-time in a series that goes back to 1983, with wins in three straight and eight of the last nine meetings since 2014 (one each season except canceled 2020 campaign) ... The Broncos are 7-5-1 in Azusa and 3-1 against the Cougars under O'Sullivan (2-1 in Azusa) ... The Broncos moved up four spots in Tuesday's latest United Soccer Coaches Division II national poll, from No. 19 ... CPP is 55-20-13 as a nationally-ranked program since 2002, including 17-7-12 under O'Sullivan.

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