WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College men's soccer team erased a one-goal deficit at halftime with a four goal effort en route to its second consecutive conference win. The Poets scored three unanswered to open the second half and went on to win 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon.

The win matches WC's longest unbeaten streak this decade at four games. The Poets won four straight in 2001 with wins over Biola, Caltech, Christian Heritage and La Verne.

Whittier (5-4-1, 4-2-1 SCIAC) and Occidental (3-7, 2-5 SCIAC) played a very even match on paper. Both teams had 20 shots for the game (8 in the first half, 12 in the second half) and WC had one more foul than the Tigers, 16-15.

Oxy keeper Andrew Larkin made six saves in a losing effort while Whittier's Michael Read made five saves in improving his record to 4-1-1 on the season.

The turning point in the game was a hand-ball and foul by Occidental inside the box. DJ Covarrubias knocked in WC's first goal of the game on a penalty kick at 49:48 to even the score at one. He earned his second penalty kick 17 minutes later and put the Poets up 3-1.

On his second attempt the shot was saved by Larkin but the rebound found its way back to Covarrubias who settled the ball in the back of the net for the easy goal.

Between the two Covarrubias goals came a bicycle kick from Srdan Jovanovic in the 61st minute. Joshua Dredge headed a ball to the center of the box that Jovanovic scored on.

Occidental's Micah Farver cut the Whittier lead to one goal, 3-2, at 67:43 on a free kick. Kosa Goucher-Lambert found Farver's head from near midfield for the goal. Farver's score came just 43 seconds after Covarrubias' second goal.

Adolfo Santos added the final goal of the game in the 72nd minute. The Tigers had a failed clear that Santos corralled and took to net uncontested.

Halfway through the conference schedule the Poets are in third place, just one game behind second place Claremont-M-S.

Whittier returns to action on Saturday, October 10, with a critical game against Redlands. The match is scheduled for an 11 am start at Redlands.