SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos have once again claimed the crown, winning their third straight CCAA regular season championship. In a tight battle on the road at Cal State San Bernardino, the Broncos secured a decisive 1-0 victory. With this triumph, Pomona's record now stands at 14-1-3 overall and 7-1-3 in conference play.
It was a tense, tightly contested match from start to finish. Both teams had scoring opportunities, but it was the Broncos who broke the deadlock in the 46th minute.
Lavinia Vaipulu delivered the decisive goal, assisted by
Marisa Salazar, giving Cal Poly Pomona the lead they would hold for the rest of the match. Reflecting on her game-winning moment, Vaipulu said, "It was honestly so surreal and just felt like great fortune for it to work out the way it did. The best part about it was realizing what had happened and getting rushed by my teammates. Their excitement made the moment so much more special."
The Broncos' defense and goalkeeping were equally impressive.
Jenna Tetrault made crucial saves to preserve the shutout and reflected on what the victory meant to the team, saying, "It means everything right now. I couldn't be prouder that we pulled it off, and you can tell we really did it for each other. It gives us a lot of momentum moving forward because we aren't finished yet."
The team's collective effort was evident across the field. From
Kiarra D'Arcangelo,
Georgia Rink, and
Braedyn Kincade creating scoring chances to
Mikaela Marr and
Liberty Ortiz leading the defense with poise, every player contributed to the victory. Marr reflected on the journey over the past three seasons, saying, "I'm just so insanely proud of this group. This season has been a grind, but we have proved that we believe in each other and are collectively committed to achieving success no matter if we need to fight to get it. This is something we have built together and carried on three seasons now, and I couldn't be happier."
Statistically, the Broncos outshot the Coyotes 17-13, including five shots on goal to CSUSB's three, and maintained pressure with four corner kicks. With the regular season title now secured, the Broncos will carry the confidence and momentum from this victory into the postseason.
Up Next:
The Broncos will travel to Seaside, Calif., for the CCAA Tournament, entering with a first-round bye as the tournament's top seed. They are set to face the winner of the matchup between Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal State San Bernardino in the semifinals on Friday, November 14th, at 7:30 PM.
Bronco Bits:
- Jay Mason is now 96-49-26 as the head coach of the Broncos
- The Broncos are 35-17-9 all time against Cal State San Bernardino
- Cal Poly Pomona is now 14-1-3 overall and 7-1-3 in CCAA conference play
- Now in its 42nd season, CPP Women's Soccer is 405-303-94 all-time with a 220-146-58 record in CCAA matches.
- Lavinia Vaipulu's goal marked her first this season and third as a Bronco
- This will be the Broncos 17th CCAA tournament appearance
- With eight shutouts this season, Jenna Tetrault enters the record book in a three-way tie for ninth
