Cal State LA’s women’s soccer team continued its midseason slump, losing 2-1 in a hard-fought battle to the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos on Thursday, Oct. 17. That was the Golden Eagles second loss in a row, after suffering defeat by the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks. They now hold a 6-3-3 season record, and drop to fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 3-3 conference record.
The Golden Eagles came out aggressive on the offensive side, as they kept the ball on the Broncos part of the field most of the half. The Broncos held their ground, keeping the Golden Eagles at bay as the Eagles shot four times, only twice on goal. The Broncos took advantage of openings, scoring a goal with just over two minutes left in the first half.
Cal State LA entered the second half down 1-0, and Cal Poly Pomona did not back down as the game continued. The Broncos kept their foot on the gas, penetrating the Golden Eagles backline, paying off as they doubled their lead in the 68th minute. The Golden Eagles kept pushing at goal and cut the lead in half in the 80th minute — but it was not enough to defeat the Broncos.
Head Coach Erik Garcia credited the defense for putting up a fight against the number one ranked team in the conference, but made sure to point out that the defense let in late-half goals in back-to-back games.
“I’m just not proud of giving up another late goal in a half, just like what happened in the last game,” said Garcia. “It’s definitely something we have to keep working on, but through the whole game they fought and we — for the most part — kept control of keeping them away from the goal.”
Garcia also touched upon the offensive struggles the team has been having as of late.
“We’re a little bit bent up right now with injuries, and that’s really hurting the rotation and how we present certain things,” said Garcia. “We’ll find it. We’ve got some great, talented players.”
The Golden Eagles are looking to earn their way back into the win column on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. against the Cal State East Bay Peregrine Falcons at University Stadium.
This article was first published in the October 23 print edition of the University Times.
