HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay women's soccer put together a determined defensive effort on Sunday afternoon but came up just short against the No 1 team in the nation, Cal Poly Pomona. The Pioneers dropped the 1-0 decision and moved to 2-4-1 overall.
Pomona struck early in the 11th minute when Marisa Salazar finished to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The Pioneers, however, refused to fold, with goalkeeper Ashley Levi turning in an outstanding performance. The junior keeper recorded eight saves, including several big time stops in both halves to keep East Bay within striking distance.
After being limited to just two shots in the opening half, the Pioneers found more rhythm offensively after the break. Abigail Kern generated consistent pressure, finishing with a team-high four shots, two of which forced saves from the Broncos keeper. Mika Sayfurahman also created dangerous chances, tallying three shots on goal.
East Bay nearly equalized in the 76th minute, when Kern had back-to-back efforts turned away following a corner kick. The Pioneers kept pressing late, earning another corner in the 87th minute and forcing a final save in the closing seconds on a shot by Lillian Morris.
East Bay outshot the defending National Champions 9-6 in the second half and held the Broncos scoreless over the final 80 minutes. The Pioneers also matched Pomona with eight saves on the day while winning the battle of second-half corners.
Cal State East Bay opens CCAA play next week with a pair of road contests against Stanislaus State on Friday and UC Merced on Sunday.
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