SEASIDE, Calif. – History was made under the lights at Cardinale Stadium on Friday night, as Cal Poly Humboldt women's soccer upset top-seeded and defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona, 1-0, in the CCAA Tournament semifinals. Nicole Beauchemin's second-half strike in the 54th minute sent the Lumberjacks to their first-ever CCAA Championship appearance.

With the victory, Humboldt (7-5-8, 4-2-5 CCAA) becomes the first team in women's soccer program history to advance to the CCAA Tournament title match. The Jacks will compete for the championship trophy on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. against No. 2 seed and NorCal rival Chico State.

"It was a gritty performance from our team last night," said head coach Grant Landy. "Pomona is really skilled, so we had to be good on the defensive side of the ball in the first half. We found more rhythm offensively in the second half and capitalized on a superb free kick from Nicole. The belief and trust this team has showed the last 3 weeks was evident again tonight. We will need that again on Sunday to be successful."

After a tightly contested first half, Humboldt broke through in the 54th minute when Nicole Beauchemin capitalized on a scoring opportunity to put the Jacks ahead 1-0 — a lead they would not relinquish. The Lumberjack defense, led by a composed backline and clutch goalkeeping, held firm to record the shutout over a Broncos squad that entered the match with just two losses on the season.

Humboldt goalkeepers Carson Thomson-Terrel and Ari Beddoes recorded three saves on 11 Pomona shots, including several key stops in the final minutes to preserve the clean sheet. The Jacks finished with six total shots, two of which were on frame.

Despite being outshot 11-6, Humboldt's gritty defensive effort and disciplined team play proved to be the difference. The Broncos were limited to just three shots on goal, while Humboldt's lone corner-free attack proved decisive.

Friday's victory marks not only Humboldt's first-ever CCAA semifinal win, but also one of the biggest upsets in conference tournament history.

The Lumberjacks will now turn their focus to Sunday's CCAA Championship match, set for 3:00 p.m. at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, Calif., against No. 2 seed Chico State. All the action can be live streamed on FloCollege. 

For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt women's soccer, visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app on Apple iOS or Google Android, and follow the Lumberjacks on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook.

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