POMONA, Calif. - #22 California State University San Bernardino men's soccer rallied to defeat tournament host Cal Poly Pomona 3-1 Friday night in the CCAA Tournament semifinals at Kellogg Stadium.
With the win, the Coyotes improve to 14-3-3 overall and advance to the CCAA Tournament final for the first time in program history.
The Broncos struck first at 4:21 when All-CCAA Honorable Mention selection Daniel Gutierrez scored his first goal of the season with a stunning 40-yard strike into the upper-left corner, leaving the Yotes keeper with no chance.
CSUSB threatened to equalize late in the first half through good linkup play between senior defender Ty Kerns and sophomore forward Titus Alviso. The pair found sophomore midfielder Diego Lopez in front of goal, but he could not get a shot off.
At halftime, the Coyotes trailed 1-0 despite a 4-3 edge in shots on goal, with both teams recording six shots.
Lopez had a golden chance to equalize in the 59th minute when he broke through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his lofted shot from distance sailed over the bar.
The match turned in the 69th minute. Fifth-year goalkeeper Donovan Palomares sent a long ball upfield, and senior midfielder Alix Soukup brought it down for fifth-year midfielder Anthony Luna, who fired a stunning equalizer off the bar and into the net.
Less than three minutes later, Soukup and Lopez played a quick one-two that sent Lopez through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Lopez finished low in the 71st minute to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead, with Soukup recording his second assist of the match.
The Coyotes struck again for their third goal in 16 minutes in the 85th minute. On a two-on-one, Soukup squared the ball to his left for Lopez, who put the match away at 3-1. It was Soukup's third assist of the night and Lopez's seventh goal of the season and fourth of the CCAA Tournament.
For the second straight match, the Coyotes scored three goals after halftime, this time to book a spot in the CCAA Tournament final.
In goal, Palomares made two saves and earned the win to improve to 11-1-3 on the season.
Next up, the Coyotes will face #1 Cal State Los Angeles in the CCAA Tournament final on Sunday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Kellogg Stadium.
