Box Score Photo by: Daniel Hartsough
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team made history Thursday afternoon as they earned their first ever SCIAC Championship berth with an upset win over the No. 1 seeded Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer.
The Poets earned their fourth straight appearance in the SCIAC Post Season Tournament as the No. 4 seed and took on the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer who was the No. 1 overall seed.
The win this afternoon also marks the first time the men's soccer program has ever beaten a Top 25 Nationally Ranked opponent and snaps their three game losing streak in SCIAC Post Season play.
The Sagehens came into the contest riding an eleven game winning streak with their last loss being to Whittier back on September 22 when they fell 6-2. Whittier who hasn't seen any athletic program make their way to a SCIAC Championship Game since 2004 when both women's soccer and men's water polo won SCIAC Titles saw the men's soccer team get one step closer to earning their first ever SCIAC Championship.
The Purple & Gold held a one goal advantage at the half and poured in three more in the second half en route to the 4-1 victory. The Poets and Sagehens came out fired up in the first half showing off two of the best defensive units in the conference. Whittier outshot Pomona-Pitzer 9-4 in the first half and broke the scoreless tie in the 36th minute when Joshua Dredge tapped in his first goal of the season and his first in the past two years. Senior Kevin Hartsough played a free kick into the box, where it bounced around several players before landing at the feet of Dredge who buried the shot from close range putting the Poets in front 1-0 going into the half.
Pomona-Pitzer hoped to regroup coming out of the break, but Whittier silenced the crowd by scoring eleven seconds in off of the kickoff. The Poets advanced the ball forward and after a couple failed clear attempts by the Sagehens, Srdan Jovanovic took the ball himself took one dribble and let loose from 25 yards out striking a bender just inside the left post that pushed the score to 2-0.
Whittier put the game away midway through the second half with two goals three minutes apart from each other. Francis Maxwell tallied the first when he headed in a cross from Adolfo Santos at the far post, driving a ball into the ground from 10 yards out that took one hop and bounced into the back of the net. Just two minutes later, the players switched roles as Jovanovic sent in a cross that trickled away towards the end line. Maxwell gave chase along with Sagehen goalkeeper Rollie Thayer and flicked a cross back into the box for Santos who was waiting for a header and an open net putting Whittier in front 4-0 with 24:29 to play.
But no lead is safe in the SCIAC Post Season Tournament as Pomona-Pitzer used a quick strike 16 seconds later from Nathan Shekita from close range that pulled the Sagehens within three. Harris Levin played a cross from the right sideline that was headed down by Drew Lind. Shakita slipped behind his defender and was able to one time the ball from five yards out.
The Sagehens continued to pressure the ball the rest of the half, but Whittier goalkeeper David Diaz and the rest of the Poet defensive unit was able to turn them away preserving the upset victory. Diaz finished with six saves in the victory, while Whittier held the advantage in shots 18-17 and corner kicks at 4-1.
Whittier awaits the victor of the No. 2 Redlands vs. No. 3 Claremont-M-S matchup, which is taking place this evening. The Championship game is set to take place this Saturday, November 3 with game time to be announced tomorrow.
