Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team dropped a tough road contest Monday falling 3-1 to Occidental College dropping to 6-5-2, 4-5-2 SCIAC.
With the loss the Poets drop into seventh place in the SCIAC standings with 14 points, while Occidental moves into sole possession of second place with 21.
The previous time these two teams met the Poets held on for a 2-1 victory at home on September 8. This time around the Poets had no answer for Connor Freeman who tallied two scores within a minute to propel the Tigers to the victory.
Alessandro Carotenuto scored the first goal of the game in the 18th minute by rebounding his own missed penalty kick tucking it in past Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.). In the second, the Poets would tie things up in the 54th minute from Alex Mitchell (Bakersfield, Calif.) who added his first goal of the season coming on a strike from 25 yards out.
Four minutes later Oxy would regain the lead. Tiger keeper Theo Atkinson would secure a shot from the Poets and would fire a 50-yard pass to Tod Kawada who then flicked to Freeman at the top of the box giving Oxy a 2-1 lead. Seconds later, Freeman would find the back of the goal again breaking free in transition moving the deficit to two.
Whittier would have an opportunity late to pull within one as Lucas Depinna (Portland, Ore.) would put a header on frame but it would be saved by Atkinson as Oxy would hold for their fourth straight victory.
The Poets were outshot 9-7 on the evening and were at a disadvantage on corner kicks 8-4. Tyler Crough (Fresno, Calif.) led the offensive unit with two shots, both being on goal.
Whittier remains on the road as they take on Chapman University this Saturday, October 18 beginning at 1:00pm.
