Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LA VERNE, Calif. – A penalty kick would prove costly Saturday morning as the Leopards of the University of La Verne would hold on 1-0 to edge the Whittier College men's soccer team.
With the loss the Poets drop to 5-4-1, 3-4-1 SCIAC, while La Verne improves to 7-4-1, 4-4 SCIAC as the first round of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) came to a close.
Following a scoreless first half, La Verne would add the only goal in the 47th minute. Nick Gonsalves was up top for the Leos, when he received the ball to open the half he would split two Whittier defenders before being tripped up in the box obtaining a penalty kick.
After a brief conference among players, Justin Almandinger would step up and put one to the right of Poet keeper Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.) that put the Leopards on the board.
Gonsalves would grab another couple opportunities later in the second. His first he had a one on one with Rivas, who cut off the angle making a big save. The second was in the 52nd minute, which he sent just wide.
The Poets were forced to play shorthanded for the final seventeen minutes of play following Lucas Depinna (Portland, Ore.) being forced off with his second yellow. Despite being a man down, the Poets managed to get the best look of the night for the game tying goal in the 85th minute. Denzel Hartshorn (Grand Junction, CO) launched a shot from the left side, which beat Leo keeper Greg Veron, but it ended up missing high by inches keeping the victory intact for La Verne.
Shots were deadlocked for the game at eight, with La Verne holding the slight advantage on corners 2-1. Rivas collected one save in the loss, while Dylan Fortin (San Diego, Calif.) came off the bench to take two shots to lead the offensive unit.
Whittier returns to action this week on Monday, October 6 when they host Caltech at 7:00pm and then Cal Lutheran on Saturday, October 11 at 7:00pm.
