- 2nd	1	2	T
Whittier (1-0)	1	2	3
Soka (0-1)	0	0	0

Scoring Summary
1st - 31:42	Srdan Jovanovic (Whittier)
1st - 60:08	Rafa Serfaty (Whittier)
1st - 66:33	Jonathan Palomino (Whittier)

Whittier	Soka
G: 3 Players (#6, #9, #18 - 1) A: 3 Players (#2, #16, #25 - 1) Sh: 4 Players (#5, #6, #9, #18 - 2) Sv: Taylor Ayres - 2	G: N/A A: N/A Sh: 3 Players (#3, #13, #22 - 1) Sv: Tim Sasser - 6

TEAM STATISTICS	Whittier	Soka
Shots (on goal)	9 (0)	3 (0)
Saves	3	6
Fouls	3	5
Corner Kicks	2	2
Offsides	0	0

full stats

Poets open season with 3-0 win over SOKA

Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team got off on the right foot in its season opener on Wednesday evening at SOKA University of America as the Poets scored two second half goals en route to a 3-0 win.

Sophomore and 2009 second-team All-SCIAC honoree Srdan Jovanovic scored the first goal of the season for the purple and gold as he finished a feed from freshman Jon Elvins in the first half.

The defense, led by senior goalie Michael Read, posted a clean sheet in the first 45 minutes of the game.

The Poets fielded two squads throughout the game; changing the lineup at the midway point of the contest. Read gave way to sophomore Taylor Ayres who preserved the shutout with a critical save in the second half.

Ayres' save sparked the Poets as they needed only two minutes to turn a 1-0 lead into a two goal advantage. Junior Rafa Serfaty was the man behind Whittier's second goal as he scored his first of the season off an assist from freshman Jorge Figueroa.

Junior Jonathan Palomino added the icing on the cake with the final goal of the game. Freshman Gary Kelman joined his fellow first-year players Elvins and Figueroa with the assist.

With the win the Poets stretch their regular-season unbeaten streak to 12 games which dates back to September 26, 2009. The streak started with a 5-4 win over Cal Lutheran and has seen WC go 9-0-3.

Whittier returns to action on Saturday, September 4, as it hosts Biola at 11 am.