Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team took sole possession of second place in the SCIAC standings by routing the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer 6-2 Saturday evening at the Donald E. Graham Soccer field.
With the win Whittier moves into second place in the SCIAC standings and improves to 3-5, 3-1 SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer drops to 3-4, 2-2 SCIAC.
Despite being outshot 21-12 for the game, Whittier managed to control the offensive side of the ball finding the back of the goal six times, three in the first half and three in the second half.
Sophomore Lucas Depinna got things rolling for the Purple & Gold in the first half by coming out of the starting gates 47 seconds in to add the first score of the contest by cleaning up a rebound to score.
Twenty two minutes later Whittier added another two goals to add to their lead from Adolfo Santos and Srdan Jovanovic. Santos at the 22nd minute mark maneuvered around a couple defenders and took a strike from 30 yards out that bent into the bottom right corner of the goal and then Jovanovic followed that up seconds later receiving a through ball from Santos and connected past an outstretched Rollie Thayer helping Whittier move the score to 3-0.
But Pomona-Pitzer didn't go away as Nathan Shekita tapped in the Sagehens first goal of the game two minutes later receiving a cross from Danny Nasry that brought the score to 3-1 going into the break.
Coming out of the break Nasry had another opportunity early to pull the Sagehens within one but was denied by Poet goalkeeper David Diaz who grabbed one of his nine saves on the day by blocking the ball off of the crossbar helping preserve the two goal lead.
Nine minutes later Depinna tacked on his second goal of the day at the 60th minute by pressuring the goalie and scoring off the tackle that extended the Poet lead to 4-1. But Whittier didn't stop there and answered once again as freshman Pablo Gomez in the 74th minute received a header from Jovanovic which he took to the goal and tapped in with his left past an outstretched Nigel Brady.
On the ensuing possession for Pomona-Pitzer Lawrence McDonald took the ball on a three on two breakaway and struck his first goal of the contest past Mason Portalski that pulled the Sagehens within three. But that's the only offense they would be able to gather as Whittier added an insurance goal from Matt Evans who struck a penalty kick into the back of the net to add on the sixth goal of the game for the Poets giving them a lead they would not relinquish in the final fifteen minutes of play.
For the game Pomona-Pitzer held the advantage in corner kicks at 4-2, while Whittier collected 10 saves to Pomona's 4.
Whittier returns to action as they host the Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran University on Wednesday, September 26 beginning at 7:00pm.
