SOCCER : Cal State L.A. Returns to Winning Ways, Beats Pomona

The Cal Poly Pomona soccer team was well aware of what to expect Wednesday night from Cal State Los Angeles’ Juan Carlos Sanchez. Pomona Coach Brian Wiesner was Sanchez’s coach for three seasons at Pomona Garey High.

But the advance knowledge wasn’t enough for Pomona to stop Sanchez’s second-half goal that gave the Golden Eagles the go-ahead score on their way to a 3-1 victory in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. match at home.

The goal, Sanchez’s fourth of the season, provided redemption for the sophomore midfielder.

Sanchez had a penalty kick deflected by Pomona goalkeeper Jeff Bettencourt early in the first half that would have broken open a scoreless match. Wiesner, though, offered words of encouragement to his former athlete at halftime.

“I always shoot to my left,” Sanchez said, “and (Wiesner) told me ‘The goalie knew you were going to go there’ and to just concentrate. . . . Scoring the goal is the greatest thing that could have happened to get me back up emotionally.”

Cal State L.A. (6-1-2 overall, 1-1-2 in conference play), which played at Chapman in a CCAA match Saturday night, opened the season with five consecutive victories, but lost to nationally ranked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and tied Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Dominguez Hills to start conference play before defeating Pomona (1-6-1, 0-4) for its first conference victory.

“It was a big thing to get that first win in there, just like trying to get that first goal tonight,” Sanchez said.

Cal State L.A., ranked sixth nationally in Division II and second in the Western Region, outshot Pomona 19-5, but had two first-half goals nullified by offsides penalties.

Carlo Casella put Pomona ahead 1-0 midway through the second half, but the Broncos’ lead was short-lived. Adrian Cortes tied the score off a cross-field pass from Mehran Molkara four minutes later, and Sanchez put the Golden Eagles ahead for good at the 34-minute mark.