Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team and Claremont-M-S combined to score nine goals Monday evening as the Poets fell 5-4 in overtime at John Prtizlaff Field.
This marks the third time this season the Poets have scored at least four goals in a game but the first time they have suffered a loss after putting together such an offensive outpouring.
With the loss the Poets drop to 7-8-2, 5-8-2 SCIAC, while Claremont-M-S improves to 8-7-1, 7-7-1 SCIAC.
CMS was the first to strike in the 18th minute when Elijah Lichtenberg put away a drive into the lower right corner of the goal after a cut into the box but the Purple & Gold would respond with back to back tallies within the next four minutes to take a 2-1 lead at the half.
Dylan Fortin (San Diego, Calif.) added his sixth goal of the season when he headed in a cross from Alex Mitchell (Bakersfield, Calif.) at 19:57 before Brian Russell (Torrance, Calif.) got into the mix finishing to the top right corner of the goal past an outstretched Grant Gilchrist coming from Willie O'Malley (Gig Harbor, WA).
In the second the Stags came out hot with Lichtenberg adding his second of the game coming on a tap in from a cut back and would eventually take the lead again following a Whittier own goal at the 55:37 mark. But again the Poets fought back adding two straight to retake the lead within a minute both coming from Denzel Hartshorn (Grand Junction, CO) who was fed by Ryan Wood (Wilmslow, England).
Lichtenberg would again prove tough to stop as he would complete the hat trick one touching past Whittier keeper freshman Oscar Sowell (Vista, Calif.) that forced overtime with under a minute to play. Then in extra time, CMS would get the first opportunity seven minutes in when Mehron Abdi would tap in the game winner coming off a corner from Michael Crowley.
CMS outshot the Poets 22-18 with five coming in overtime. The Stags held a slight 8-6 advantage in corner kicks. Fortin, Wood, and Russell led the offensive unit with three shots apiece. Sowell got his first start in goal in place of Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.) playing all 97:38 picking up seven saves.
Whittier returns home to the Donald E. Graham Soccer Field this Saturday, November 1 when they host Pomona-Pitzer during Rage the Cage and Senior Night beginning at 7:00pm.
