Pioneers Topped By Cal Poly Pomona, 2-0

  • October 23, 2009

HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay women's soccer team held Cal Poly Pomona scoreless in the first half but allowed two second-half goals, falling to the Broncos, 2-0, on Friday afternoon at Pioneer Field. Cal Poly Pomona earned redemption for an earlier loss to the Pioneers, who were held without a goal for the fifth straight match.

The first half saw East Bay control possession, creating chances early. The Pioneers threw six shots at Pomona keeper Nakisha Gutierrez, who needed one save to keep CSUEB out of the back of the net in the opening frame. Meanwhile, the Broncos had their fare share of opportunities, taking six shots and forcing Pioneer freshman keeper Nina Cefalo to make two stops. Despite swapping chances, however, the two squads remained locked in a scoreless tie at the half.

Cal Poly Pomona came out of the break looking to score and forcing East Bay to step up defensively. Despite the new pressure, the Pioneers matched the Broncos, maintaining the tie through the first 25 minutes of the second half.

The Broncos finally broke through in the 74th minute when midfielder Kailah Martin brought the ball into the box and ripped a shot that Cefalo deflected but could not hold onto. Pomona leading scorer Mary Carroll followed the shot and tapped in the rebound from eight yards to give the Broncos a 1-0 advantage.

Less than six minutes later, Cal Poly Pomona struck again, getting an insurance goal from Callie Wilson. After bringing the ball up the field, Wilson took a chance from 15 yards and put it away on the ground, putting the Broncos up 2-0 in the 80th minute.

Though they matched their first-half output with another five shots in the second frame, the Pioneers were thwarted by Gutierrez, who saved each of their three shots on goal. On the other end, Cefalo faced seven shots in the second half, making one stop.

Cal Poly Pomona finished the match with 13 shots, forcing three Cefalo saves. Three Broncos notched a pair of shots each, while four Pioneers combined for eight of the team's 10 total strikes. Gutierrez needed four saves to post her first shutout of the season.

The Pioneers return to action on Sunday for game two of their season-ending four-match homestand. Cal State East Bay will play host to Cal State San Bernardino, looking for redemption after a 5-0 loss to the Coyotes earlier this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Pioneer Field.