POMONA, Calif. – Cal Poly Pomona Women's Soccer celebrated Senior Day on Saturday afternoon with an impressive 4-1 victory over Fresno Pacific. The match was marked by first-time goals, emotional moments, and a dominant team performance that showcased the strength and spirit of the Broncos' senior class.
The celebration began just over one minute into the match, when senior
Abria Smith opened the scoring with her first collegiate goal, giving the Broncos an early 1-0 lead. The goal, which came just 1:05 into the game, was set up by fellow senior
Angelina Rivas. Reflecting on the moment, Smith said it was "truly a special moment that I will forever cherish," adding, "I was so happy my family and teammates could be there to celebrate my first collegiate goal on Senior Night."
The Broncos kept up the intensity throughout the first half, dominating possession and creating several quality chances. Players like
Vanessa Cruz,
Marisa Salazar, and
Kiarra D'Arcangelo all tested the Fresno Pacific goalkeeper, who made several key saves to keep the Sunbirds in the match. Despite outshooting FPU by a wide margin, CPP entered halftime with just a 1-0 advantage.
Shortly after the break, Fresno Pacific found an equalizer in the 48th minute to briefly level the score at 1-1. But Cal Poly Pomona responded with urgency and determination.
In the 59th minute,
Braedyn Kincade, playing in her first season with the Broncos, restored the lead by scoring her first goal in a CPP uniform. Her strike, assisted by
Marisa Salazar, shifted momentum back in the Broncos' favor. "It was such a fun and exciting moment," said Kincade. "Being new to the team, it was a great confidence boost, and it gave a lift to my teammates, too, to help lead us to a 4-1 victory."
Less than two minutes later, at the 60:04 mark, senior
Vanessa Cruz extended the lead to 3-1 with a well-deserved goal, after coming close earlier in the match with two shots that hit the goalpost. Her goal was assisted by
Georgia Rink, who helped orchestrate the attack. Reflecting on the day, Cruz said the team was especially excited heading into the match because "we were celebrating our seniors who have helped build this program into what it is today." She added, "The blood, sweat, and tears have bonded this team. Every day we work hard for each other, and that shows the compassion this team has. Thankfully, we celebrated Senior Day early in the season, we still have a long way to go to write another legendary story."
The final goal came in the 78th minute, when
Angelina Rivas capped off the match with a goal of her own, assisted by fellow senior
Anna Schellpeper. Rivas, who also assisted the opening goal, was a key contributor throughout the match. Reflecting on the moment, Rivas said, "Scoring tonight was the most fulfilling feeling in the world. To transfer home and play in front of family and friends for my senior night, what else could you ask for? Blessed is an understatement."
Beyond the action on the field, the day was filled with celebration. Before kickoff, the Broncos held a pregame ceremony to honor their 11 graduating seniors:
Haley Hong,
Angelina Rivas,
Abria Smith,
Anna Schellpeper,
Marisa Salazar,
Ryan Grace,
Giselle Samayoa,
Lavinia Vaipulu,
Vanessa Cruz,
Liberty Ortiz, and
Ally Henry.
Up Next:
The Broncos will remain at home and host Westmont College on Thursday, September 11
th at 4:30 PM at Kellogg Stadium.
Bronco Bits:
- Jay Mason is now 84-48-23 as the head coach of the Broncos
- The Broncos are 3-1-0 all time against Fresno Pacific
- The Broncos haven't lost at home in 14 matches
- When scoring 4 goals, the Broncos are 47-0-0
- The last time the Broncos scored 4 goals in a match was in the national semifinal against Franklin Pierce
- Vanessa Cruz had a career high of 7 shots in a match
