Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – On a hot and sunny day at the Graham Soccer Field, Pomona-Pitzer scored the lone goal of the contest off a corner kick in the first half to earn the 1-0 win over the Whittier College women's soccer team on Saturday afternoon.

The Sagehens won their first corner kick of the game in the 35th minute and turned that into the eventual game winner. The ball was played by Claire Mueller to the near post where Allie Tao put it in the back of the net.

Tao led all with a game-high seven shots, two of which were on goal.

The Poets had a nice opportunity in the 11th minute to take an early lead but Shelly Johiro's chance sailed high of the crossbar from five yards off the top of the box.

The Johiro strike came at the 10:35 mark of the first half.

Whittier had one corner kick late in the first half but couldn't find the equalizer. Meghan Gran played the ball into the middle of the box but Pomona-Pitzer keeper Talia Shulman went up to snatch it out of the air before a Poet could get a head on the ball.

The Sagehens outshot the Poets 6-1 in the first half and had two corner's to Whittier's one.

Despite seeing 14 shots come off the feet of the Sagehens, the Whittier defense held the visitors without a clean look at frame in the second half. Pomona-Pitzer recorded four shots on goal but all were turned aside by Megan Wessel.

Wessel finished with five saves in the loss.

Whittier had one final chance to even the score but Amanda Edwards' shot from the top corner of the box just missed wide of the upper, near-side, 'V' with five ticks remaining in regulation.

 The Poets will return to action next Wednesday as they hit the road to face Claremont-M-S at 7 pm.