Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
ORANGE, Calif. – The Whittier College women's soccer team had a great opportunity to win their second game of the season as they took the Panthers of Chapman University to the brink but fell in the final ten minutes 3-2.
Senior Chelsea Irha had her best game of the season as she totaled two goals on two shots but it wasn't enough as the Poets fell 3-2.
The Poets had a quick opportunity to get on the scoreboard first in the sixth minute as senior Shelly Johiro took a nice strike from fifteen yards out but had it hit off the side post denying her, her first goal of the season.
But Johiro continued to be aggressive as she took a second shot in the 24th minute that barely missed wide.
But three minutes later in the 27th minute, the Poets wouldn't be denied a third time as Irha came down the field and received a threw ball from the Poet midfield that allowed her to get through the Chapman defenders and put the Poets on the scoreboard first as they took a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers then picked up their offensive intensity and began playing a lot more physical but Whittier was up to the fight as the defenders made it difficult for Chapman to get any good looks on goal, while Poet goalie Shanna Falch denied the Panthers any opportunities to tie up the game as she turned away three shots to close out the half and help the Poets preserve their 1-0 lead.
Coming out of the half, the Panthers took a quick shot a minute in that ended up being the equalizer as Aimee Evans found the back of the net to tie the game up at 1-1. But the Poets wouldn't be discouraged as Irha came back down the field two minutes later to put the Poets up 2-1.
Irha received a cross from Johiro that was placed perfectly in the box for her to finish in the bottom corner of the goal. That would be Irha's second goal of the game and her third goal of the season.
Whittier picked up their defense and denied the Panthers numerous opportunities to tie up the game but in the last ten minutes, the Poets took down Breehn Sasaki in the box allowing her to take a penalty kick that she knocked in to tie up the game at 2-2.
Three minutes later Evans came down the field and received a cross from Rebeccah Bortz and knocked in the game winner in the 85th minute helping the Panthers take a 3-2 lead and a lead they would not relinquish.
Despite being outshot 22-5 on the game, Whittier pushed Chapman and played aggressively and physical all game and that paid dividends as they came up just short of their second victory.
In goal Falch was a rock as she turned away 10 shots.
The women's soccer team returns to the field as they take on the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands, Saturday, October 15 beginning at 11am.
