Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
Video by: Joe Waugh (Whittier College Sports Network)
WHITTIER, Calif. – Despite seeing a tripped circuit and the loss of lights during halftime for almost 15 minutes the Whittier College men's soccer team was still able to pull off the 4-2 victory over Occidental College Monday evening.
With the win, the Poets stop their two game losing skid and improve to 8-5-1, 7-3-1 SCIAC moving into 3rd Place in the SCIAC standings a game ahead of Cal Lutheran.
Being held to just two goals in their last two games the Purple & Gold came out in this evenings contest hot adding two goals in each half en route to the two goal victory sweeping the Tigers for the regular season by a combined score of 10-3.
"Our offense was on point and had some spectacular finishes tonight. Credit to a great team effort and creating some great opportunities for each other, and having the focus to put our chances away," explained Head Coach Shea Harwell.
"Every game matters at this point in the season and we're committed to getting three points and the result from here on out."
Whittier jumped out in front quickly six minutes in thanks to Dylan Fortin (San Diego, Calif.) who took a ball from Matthew Evans (Bury St. Edmunds, England) on the wing and found the back of the goal, which went past Tiger keeper Theo Atkinson and off the side post and in.
Later in the half, Whittier would tally their second goal of the contest but this time at the 37:47 mark from senior defender Jon Elvins (Bideford, England) who found the top left corner of the goal from atop the box, his second of the season.
But right before the half Oxy would cut the Poet lead in half thanks to Daniel Lawson who chipped a ball over WC keeper Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.) after it was bounced around in front of the goal.
After the minor power outage at the break, the Poets came out un phased in the second half as they got back to back goals from junior Tyler Crough (Fresno, Calif.) both being fed by senior Gregorio Giorgi (Bologna, Italy). The first came from a cross, which he tapped into the top left corner of the goal and the second was a tap in in front of an open goal after Giorgi drew out the keeper.
In between these two goals the Poets wasted an opportunity to add their fifth goal of the game when Atkinson made probably his biggest save of the season coming on a penalty kick taken by Elvins. Giorgi was taken down inside of the box seconds before and on the ensuing PK Atkinson made a diving save to his left preserving the two goal deficit but not until Crough added his a couple minutes later putting the Poets up 4-1.
In the final minutes, Occidental would tally a second coming from Lawson. This time he would put a bender over Rivas from long range coming off of a free kick. But it would be too late as WC would hold on for the win.
Whittier outshot Oxy 21-15, was at a disadvantage on corner kicks 5-3 but stayed away from achieving any yellow cards for the first time this season.
Whittier returns to action this Saturday, October 19 when they host Caltech beginning at 7:00pm.
