Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – In a weekend full of Div. I match-ups the Purple & Gold prevailed Sunday taking two out of three games beating Macalester 13-3 andWashington & Jefferson 12-3 before falling to Colorado State 12-9.
Whittier now improves to 8-12 on the season and have five non-conference opponents remaining on their schedule with all five being Div. I programs.
Game 1 (W, 13-3)
Whittier opened the mini tournament with a 13-3 trouncing over the Scots of Div. III Macalester College getting two goals apiece from five different players. The Poets opened up the scoring with back to back goals from Hayley Parker and Sabrina Carlile and then wrapped up the frame with three unanswered from Alyssa Rangel, Emma Sakuda, and Jae Crabtree to go up 5-1. This would be all the Poets would need as their stifling defense held the Scots to just two goals in the entire half.
After finding the back of the goal five times in the first quarter they added another six in the second with goals from Carlile, Laurel Pinkley, Rangel, Sakuda, and Natalie Halvorsen-Herrera (2) which opened the game up to 11-2 at the break.
Out of the half the Scots picked up their defensive intensity holding the Poets to a goal in the 3rd and 4th quarters coming from Parker and Melissa Pinlac but Macalester was only able to find the back of the goal once themselves allowing the Poets to cruise to the 13-3 victory.
Game 2 (L, 12-9)
In the second match-up of the day the Poets found themselves matched up with the Rams of Div. I Colorado State. The Rams jumped out quickly scoring back to back goals within the first minute but the Poets were able to cut the deficit in half closing out the first thanks to a goal from Pinkley.
The second quarter saw the same outcome as the first with Colorado State taking the one goal advantage 2-1 with the Poets lone goal coming from Monique Dorado. This put the score at 4-2 heading into intermission.
Out of the break, Whittier was held once again to just one goal that came with 1:00 left to play from Parker but the Rams were able to tack on another three taking a 7-3 advantage into the final frame. In the fourth, the Poets mounted their comeback adding six goals despite seeing the Rams open up the quarter on a 3-1 run. The Purple & Gold were able to bounce back and find their offensive spark closing out the half on a 3-0 run. But the comeback fell short as the Poets fells 12-9 against a very competitive program that has scholarship players. The Poet goals in the 4th came from Cynthia Castillo (3), Dorado, and Crabtree (2).
Game 3 (W, 12-3)
In the final contest of the day, the Poets saw the exact same outcome as the Macalester game cruising to the 12-3 lopsided victory. The Presidents were blanked in the first half and didn't get their first goal until the 1:57 mark in the third quarter.
Whittier found their offense early adding four goals in the first and second quarters to take an 8-0 lead into the break. Castillo led the offensive unit in the first half with two goals. Out of the break, the Presidents attempted to get back into the contest by adding two goals but Whittier was able to add three themselves thanks to Parker (2) and Halvorsen-Herrera. In the final quarter the Poets were held to just one goal from Pinlac that came with 4:23 to play off of a 5-meter but the Presidents only managed one more goal that brought the final score to 12-3.
Whittier returns to the pool next weekend March 22 & 23 when they take part in the LMU Invite where they will take on Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State Eastbay, and Sonoma State.
