The West is best again. Tara Oper scored the equalizer in the first half and also earned the penalty that led to Marisa Salazar’s decisive goal during the opening minutes of the second half as the Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer team rallied for a 2-1 victory over Minnesota State-Mankato in the NCAA Division II championship match Sunday at the Matthews Sportsplex in North Carolina. Tara Oper, right, embraces Bella Hara after the Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer team beat Minnesota State-Mankato 2-1 in the NCAA Division II national championship match Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the Matthews Sportsplex in North Carolina. (Courtesy of Alex Kline, Cal Poly Pomona Athletics) It marks the third consecutive season the West Region champion has brought home the national title. Western Washington won the championship in 2022, and Point Loma captured the title last year. This is the first national championship for the Cal Poly Pomona women’s soccer program, the university’s 15th overall and first since men’s basketball won in 2010. Cal Poly Pomona (22-1-2) had the lion’s share of possession early before Minnesota State scored against the run of play in the ninth minute of the match. Avery Korsching’s corner kick was punched away by Cal Poly Pomona keeper Bella Hara, but the ball fell onto the foot of Courtney Kovacs, who looped the ball over Hara’s head and into the back of the net. It was the first time in a month Cal Poly Pomona had trailed and only the fifth match where the Broncos have faced a deficit. Cal Poly Pomona continued to produce quality scoring chances in the opening half, and the Broncos leveled the score in the 23rd minute. Georgia Rink replaced injured left back Lindsay Sung and quickly made an impact. She sent a long ball forward, and Oper got a slight touch with her toe to redirect the ball past Minnesota State goalkeeper Clare Longueville. “I think our team has been through some moments this season when they’ve been down, and the thing that’s allowed them to reach this point in the season has been their resilience,” Cal Poly Pomona coach Jay Mason said about his team bouncing back after conceding the first goal. “I mean, they just never quit, they don’t tend to let the situations overwhelm them and they just continue to play and generate opportunities.” Oper, a senior forward who graduated from Arlington High School, was a handful for Minnesota State defenders all match. And, in the 47th minute, Oper got the ball inside the 18-yard box and was brought down by Lucy Weninger for a penalty. Salazar stepped up and ripped a shot inside the left post and past Longueville to give the Broncos a 2-1 advantage. Sunday’s championship match was the first time Minnesota State has allowed more than one goal in a match this season. Mason said the early goal in the second half was crucial. “I think it gives us a little bit of momentum,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of shifts within games, and we came out aggressive there. I’m really proud of Tara that she was able to have some composure and run at that players and create that opportunity. “I thought the decision on the PK was a smart one,” Mason added. “I think they had seen Vanessa (Cruz) take a PK, and Marisa stepped up and buried it for us. That’s kind of what we’ve wanted these guys to do from day one. It’s a collaborative experience … and the responsibility to make decisions like that is why we’re sitting here today with the championship trophy.” Minnesota State (18-2-7) found some offensive rhythm in the second half and nearly produced an equalizer of its own. The Mavericks nearly scored from another set piece in the 57th minute, but Maddix Archer’s volley from inside the box rattled the post. Korsching had a good look 4 minutes later, but her shot from the top grazed the top of the crossbar. Salazar nearly doubled Cal Poly Pomona’s lead in the 76th minute, but her shot after a cutback also drilled the post. Minnesota State controlled the action down the stretch, as Cal Poly Pomona switched its focus to protecting that lead. But the Mavericks were unable to produce scoring opportunities in the final third and never seriously challenged Hara. “I think the belief in each other to clear the ball and do whatever it takes helped,” senior midfield Autumn Burnett said about those final minutes. “There’s 10 minutes left, the national championship is on the line. We really stuck together no matter what. … We were all together and believed in each other.” Cal Poly Pomona outshot Minnesota State 23-8 and also had a 7-4 edge in shots on goal in Sunday’s championship match.