By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

POMONA, Calif. – Top-seeded No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona defended its home turf on Saturday afternoon, knocking off fifth seed Western Washington 1-0 in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Soccer West Region Championships at Kellogg Stadium.
 
Marisa Salazar knocked home the game’s only goal just after halftime, giving her team a lead in the 49th minute that it would never concede. The Broncos improved to 18-1-2 on the season and advance to the third round where they’ll face second seed No. 20 Point Loma (16-2-1) which beat third seed No. 22 Hawaii Hilo 2-1 in Saturday’s other second-round match.
 
The Broncos dominated the stat line in the first half, out-shooting the Vikings 7-1. Things were more even across the second 45 minutes, with CPP holding a slight, 2-1 edge in shooting. The breakthrough came on a corner kick, with Salazar landing an initial shot on frame that was saved by WWU goalkeeper Abigail Trengove. Tara Oper then fed the carom back to her teammate, who converted in front of goal to put the hosts ahead.
 
WWU’s Claire Potter, who scored a heroic, 90th-minute goal on Thursday to lift her team to a 2-1 win over No. 25 Azusa Pacific, had WWU’s first on-target look of the second half in the 62nd minute.
 
The Vikings won a free kick with five minutes remaining, setting up Morgan Manalili around 25 yards away from goal. Her on-target attempt was smothered by CPP goalkeeper Bella Hara however, and it proved to be WWU’s last direct threat of the match. All three of the Vikings’ shots in the match were on frame, with GNAC Newcomer of the Year Kyrsten McGuffey joining Manalili and Potter in that category.
 
Salazar led all players with three shots and two on target, and Auburn Burnett also had three shots for the Broncos. Hara finished the match with three saves, while each team won a pair of corner kicks. Salazar’s goal was her sixth of the season and her fourth game-winner, while Hara logged her 12th shutout of the campaign.
 
Trengove had one save in the match, while defenders Asia Hardin and Olivia Connell and midfielder Mie Cairns each played the full 90 minutes.
 
GAME NOTES: WWU, the 2016 and 2022 NCAA Division II national champion, earned its 13th trip to the NCAA regional playoffs this season…Saturday was the seventh all-time meeting between WWU and Cal Poly Pomona, with the Vikings now holding a 4-3 advantage…the last time the teams met was a 2-1, double-overtime win for WWU in the regional round of the playoffs on Nov. 9, 2012…Saturday was the third time the teams played in Pomona, with each side winning one of the previous two encounters.