POMONA, Calif. - A dominant first-half performance powered Cal Poly Pomona to a 4-1 win over Westmont, securing their third straight victory to start the 2025 season. After conceding a goal in the opening minute, the Broncos responded with energy, composure, and relentless attacking play, scoring three unanswered goals before halftime to take full control of the match.
Westmont stunned the home crowd within the opening 60 seconds, capitalizing on a quick attacking sequence to take an early 1-0 lead. However, Cal Poly Pomona answered swiftly. In the 5th minute, Morgan Huff scored the equalizer, capping off a precise play that leveled the score. "I felt relieved honestly," Huff said. "I manifested it the night before and was so happy! It made me feel even more connected to this amazing team."
Only five minutes later, the Broncos struck again. Junior Mikaela Marr gave CPP a 2-1 lead with a composed finish off an assist from Anna Schellpeper, marking her first collegiate goal. "Scoring my first collegiate goal felt nothing but rewarding," Marr shared. "Not only for myself, but to score for the team and for my teammates that aren't able to play due to injury is what made me feel the most accomplished. Always proud to be a Bronco!"
The Broncos kept up the pressure and found the back of the net again in the 24th minute. After earning a penalty kick, Marisa Salazar calmly converted from the spot to push the lead to 3-1. "Our mindset coming into this game was to compete to the best of our ability no matter the circumstances, and to carry high energy from start to finish," Salazar said, and the Broncos certainly lived up to that.
The 3-1 halftime lead reflected CPP's dominance not only on the scoreboard but in possession, pace, and overall control. The backline tightened after the early setback, and goalkeeper Jenna Tetrault made key saves to keep Westmont at bay.
In the second half, Cal Poly Pomona added one more goal. In the 52nd minute, Vanessa Cruz capped off the scoring with a well-placed strike to make it 4-1. "It was another day for a new opportunity to grow and apply everything we worked on in training today," Cruz said. "Although we have setbacks, we always find a way to overcome them and that's just the determination of this team. This win built our momentum for the next challenge this weekend."
Up Next:
The Broncos head to San Diego, Calif. to face Point Loma for their first away match of the season. The match will kick off on Saturday, September 13th at 2:30 PM.
Bronco Bits:
- Jay Mason is now 85-48-23 as the head coach of the Broncos
- The Broncos are 9-3-1 all time against Westmont College
- When scoring 4 goals, the Broncos are 48-0-0
- The Broncos outshot the Warriors 14-5
- Goalkeeper, Jenna Tetrault, had a career high of 4 saves
