The playoffs represent a new season for most teams.
In contrast, Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer are aiming to make the postseason an extension of the past 40 days. That's been the length of time spanning the Broncos' 11-game undefeated streak.
For the first time since 2004, CPP has landed a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament. The single-elimination event will be held at Cal State Dominguez Hills' Toro Stadium in Carson this weekend.
As the fourth-seeded Broncos look to make a run through the playoff bracket, their first test will be an 11 a.m. semifinal match on Friday, Nov. 2 against No. 1 seed Sonoma State.
With significantly less travel involved for CPP fans, the Broncos' athletic department is providing free transportation and free admission for students to Friday's game. To sign up, go to www.broncoathletics.com/soccerbus. The bus will leave from Lot K at 9:45 a.m.
The Matchup
Friday will be the 27th all-time meeting between the Broncos and Seawolves, with SSU owning a 17-6-3 edge in the series. The Seawolves won the last two games, including a 5-0 victory earlier this season in Rohnert Park.
Since Sept. 23, CPP has put together its 8-0-3 undefeated mark. Meanwhile, SSU has posted an 8-2-1 record in that same span. The Seawolves suffered a 1-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills Oct. 19 but have regained their momentum with three-straight wins, including a 2-1 victory Sunday over nationally-ranked Cal State Stanislaus.
The Other Matchup
The other semifinal matchup Friday will kick off at 1:30 p.m. and will feature second-seeded Cal State Stanislaus against third-seeded UC San Diego. The winners of the semifinal games will play at 12:30 p.m. Sunday for the CCAA title.
New Heights
The Broncos' 11-game undefeated streak is a new program record, breaking the previous mark of nine-straight matches set in 1990. With a 10-4-3 overall mark so far in 2012, CPP also attained the highest winning percentage in the last 10 years of program history. The 2001 squad went 16-4-2 en route to advancing into the NCAA postseason, marking one of just two appearances for the program at that level of the playoffs.
Eight is Great
Friday's match will mark the Broncos' eighth all-time appearance in the CCAA Tournament. CPP made seven-straight appearances at the event from 1998 through 2004, while going 4-6 in that stretch. In 1999 at the tournament held at Sonoma State's Seawolf Soccer Field, the Broncos captured the conference title with wins over UC Davis and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The CPP program history includes two NCAA Division II postseason appearances in 1999 and 2001. The 2012 NCAA playoff field will be announced on Monday, Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m. through NCAA.com. Six teams from the West Region will earn spots in that field, with three being automatic qualifiers from the CCAA, Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and Pacific West Conference (PacWest) and the other three via at-large berths. The winner of this weekend's CCAA Tournament will earn the conference's automatic entry into the NCAA postseason. The new NCAA regional poll will be released later today here.
Parking, Directions & Ticketing
For on-campus directions at Cal State Dominguez Hills, download a PDF campus map. Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 6 across from Lacorte Hall. The closest campus entrance to Lot 6 is at: the corner of E. Victoria St. & Tamcliff Ave., Carson.
Daily parking permits cost $4. The CCAA Tournament games will be held at Toro Stadium and tickets will be sold starting at 10 a.m. Friday. General admission single-day tickets are $8 while students and seniors pay $5. Tickets for children under the age of 12 are priced at $2.