POMONA, Calif. - Cal State East Bay earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday afternoon, extending the Pioneers' unbeaten streak to four matches in CCAA play. Despite being outshot 20-3, East Bay made the most of its chances, scoring early and holding firm defensively down the stretch to secure the road point. The Pioneers moved to 5-4-5 overall and 3-1-4 in CCAA play.
The Pioneers broke through first in the 27th minute when defender Andres Garcia-Diaz capitalized on a strike from outside the box off a setup from Alejandro Zarate. It was the second goal of the season for Garcia-Diaz and the seventh assist for Zarate.
Cal State East Bay's defense was tested throughout the first half, with goalkeeper Adan Corona anchoring a back line. Pomona fired nine shots before halftime but couldn't find an equalizer, as the Pioneers entered the break ahead 1-0.
The Broncos continued to press in the second half and finally broke through in the 54th minute. Emiliano Garcia scored to level the match at 1-1. Corona came up with two crucial saves in the 56th minute and the Broncos also missed a penalty kick in the 69th minute that could have swung the match, as Aleksandar Somov's effort went high.
The point moved East Bay into sole possession of third place in the CCAA with 13 total points. The Pioneers will take their four-match unbeaten streak into Sunday's home contest against Chico State.
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