Photos by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
ORANGE, Calif. – Junior Goran Mataic (Split, Croatia) added three of his game high four goals in the first quarter Saturday afternoon as the Poets found themselves in the SCIAC Championship Final and in control of their own destiny as they are one win away from seeking the program's second SCIAC Championship.
After one quarter of play the Poets led 6-2 and never looked back as they added four in the second, four in the third, and two in the fourth en route to the six goal victory.
Whittier jumped out quickly 3-0 with goals from Nicholas Beavers (Long Beach, Calif.), Filip Delic (Split, Croatia), and Marko Zuric (Split, Croatia). Pomona-Pitzer would tally back to back goals to pull within one but Mataic responded with three of his own that wrapped up the first quarter.
After Travis Larsen cut the deficit to three opening up the second, Whittier would extend their lead to 10-5 with four goals from Delic, Roman Novak (Almaty, Kazakhstan), and Beavers (2).
Out of the break, Whittier continued where they left off outscoring the Sagehens 4-1 to extend their lead 14-6. The four goals came from Delic, Kyle Catino (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Douglas Marriott (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), and Mataic.
PP managed to gather themselves in the final quarter adding four goals but the Poets would get two from Novak that secured the victory sending the Purple & Gold into the final day of the Championships.
Whittier not only seeks the program's second SCIAC Championship tomorrow but also are fighting for an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships set to take place next weekend.
The Purple & Gold improve to 19-12, 9-1 SCIAC play and match the program's best SCIAC record since 2009 when the team went 20-14, 9-1 SCIAC and then in 2004 when they finished 23-10, 9-1 SCIAC en route to the program's lone SCIAC Championship.
The Poets who are the No. 1 overall seed in the Championships take on No. 2 Claremont-M-S tomorrow, Sunday, November 24 beginning at 2:30pm. The winner of tomorrow's contest wins the SCIAC Championship Title.
