(SAN DIEGO) A battle between the last two national champions lived up to its billing on Saturday afternoon, as PLNU Women's Soccer was edged by No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona, 2-0, in a match where both teams had their moments.
 
"It was a tale of two halves," Head Coach Kristi Kiely said. "When you don't put them away early, they stay in the game and they're a very good team at staying in a game and they can finish. We had opportunities in the first half that we just didn't capitalize on."
 
In a rematch of last season's West Regional championship game that went to overtime, Point Loma looked the likeliest to score in the early going.

PLNU nearly opened the scoring when Priya Torres' flick header from Lily Larez's cross went off the inside of the post and somehow stayed out by mere inches.
 
Gianna Masinter later had a shot saved, while the Sea Lions threatened in the first half with three corner kicks.
 
"I thought we had some good momentum in the first half, and we lost it in the second," Kiely said.
 
Cal Poly Pomona broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, as a Broncos shot off the post bounced straight to a visiting player to smash home from close range.
 
CPP then doubled its lead 10 minutes later, proving too steep of a hill for the hosts to climb.
 
"They pressed higher, and we had solutions for that that we didn't stay courageous in," Kiely said. "I thought we lost our courage in those moments. Our players are very capable of the things we're asking them to do, and I trust they'll do it better next time, but today we didn't stay courageous enough, except for Gianna. Gianna played a fantastic night 90 minutes."
 
Point Loma (1-2-1 overall) returns to the PLNU Soccer Field on Thursday to host Metro State at 3:45 p.m. before another home game on Saturday against Fort Lewis at noon.

"Next week will be two opponents that are lesser known to us, which provides an exciting opportunity but also it'll be hard because you don't know them as well," Kiely said. "We'll need to get to a good spot mentally and emotionally, and we will. They'll rebound and we'll be okay for next week."