ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's soccer team battled Cal Poly Pomona through more than 85 scoreless minutes before falling 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Oakland Roots Training Facility. The Pioneers held the Broncos off the scoreboard until the closing minutes, with goalkeeper Yvette Torres recording six saves as East Bay moved to 3-10-1 overall and 2-7-1 in CCAA play.
Cal Poly Pomona generated an early opportunity in the fourth minute, but Torres made her first save of the afternoon to keep the match scoreless. The Pioneers responded in the 17th minute when Taylor Hodges sent a shot over the crossbar.
Brooke Waelbrock provided East Bay's first shot on goal in the 32nd minute, forcing a save from Cal Poly Pomona goalkeeper Parker LaMont. Torres added another save in the 36th minute, helping the Pioneers carry a scoreless draw into halftime.
The Broncos held a narrow 3-2 advantage in shots during the opening half, while East Bay's defensive effort kept Cal Poly Pomona from finding the back of the net.
Cal Poly Pomona increased its offensive pressure in the second half, but Torres continued to keep the Pioneers in the match. The East Bay goalkeeper made consecutive saves in the 65th minute before turning away another attempt in the 77th minute.
The Pioneers generated a pair of opportunities in the 69th and 72nd minutes, both coming from Jenna McDonnell. Her first attempt went wide before her second was blocked by the Cal Poly Pomona defense. East Bay also earned two corner kicks during the second half.
The match remained scoreless until the 87th minute, when Sasha Redshaw scored at 86:33 off an assist from Ashlyn Jones to give Cal Poly Pomona a 1-0 advantage. Torres added another save in the 88th minute before Redshaw converted a penalty kick at 88:25 to extend the Broncos' lead to 2-0.
Torres played all 90 minutes in goal for East Bay, finishing with six saves. The Pioneers recorded four shots, including one on goal, while Cal Poly Pomona finished with 11 shots and eight on target. McDonnell led East Bay with two shot attempts, while Hodges and Waelbrock each added one.
Despite the result, East Bay's defensive effort kept the match within reach for much of the afternoon. The Pioneers will look to build on that performance as they continue their CCAA schedule.
