CARSON, Calif. - No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona fell 2-1 on the road to Cal State Dominguez Hills in a tightly contested CCAA matchup Friday night. The loss drops the Broncos to 5-3-4 overall and leaves them searching for their first conference win with a 0-2-2 record.
The Broncos started the game strong, opening the scoring in the 8th minute when Sam Lena found the back of the net. Lena's goal came after several early chances, including shots that hit the woodwork, giving CPP an early 1-0 lead. Throughout the game, Cal Poly Pomona continued to apply pressure, firing a total of 15 shots with six on goal.
Cal State Dominguez Hills equalized in the final moments of the first half, scoring at the 45th minute to level the match at 1-1. In the second half, the Toros took control and added a second goal to take a 2-1 lead. The Broncos pushed hard for an equalizer, generating late chances from Victor Casillas and Aleksandar Somov, but were unable to find the back of the net. Luke Garciduenas made several saves in goal but was beaten twice as the Broncos fell short.
Throughout the match, several Broncos stood out with their efforts. Besides Lena's goal, Emiliano Garcia, Marvin Gamez, Casillas, and Somov were active in attack, contributing multiple shots. Defensively, the Broncos committed fewer fouls than their opponents and earned three corner kicks, showing discipline and sustained pressure.
Up Next:
The Broncos will face UC Merced in Merced, Calif. on Sunday, October 19th at 11:30 AM.
Bronco Bits:
- Matt O'Sullivan is now 69-20-29 as head coach of the Broncos
- The Broncos are 18-41-13 all-time against Cal State Dominguez Hills
- Now in its 42nd season, CPP Men's Soccer is 358-359-103 all-time with a 215-236-60 record in CCAA matches
- Daniel Gutierrez and Emiliano Garcia hit 1,000 minutes of play this season
- This was Sam Lena's third goal of the season and seventh in his career
- Luke Garciduenas moved up to fifth all time in career minutes in goal as a Bronco with 3,304
