Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
Article by: Max Klein
WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College Men's Soccer team turned in an excellent performance Monday night as they rolled past the California Institute of Technology 6-0.
Using a different style of play in this contest than they had in previous games, the Poets tactical changes were effective and they barraged the Beavers early, keeping the visitors defense under constant pressure from the first touch.
Junior Dylan Fortin (San Diego, Calif.) started out up at the top of the attack, and opened the scoring in the eighth minute when a blocked shot fell to him in the box, which he quickly put away to put the Poets up 1-0.
Less than three minutes later, junior Pablo Gomez (Cardiff by the Sea) found the back of the goal for his second of the season, collecting a cross from senior Brian Russell (Torrance, Calif.), which he would bend in off the near post and past a diving Caltech keeper John David Feist.
Ten minutes later Fortin would get onto the back end of the third goal of the contest when he flicked a ball over the back line finding senior Devin Guthrie (Huntington Beach, Calif.) who then carried it into the box finishing for his third goal of the season.
In the 23rd minute, Russell would toss in his second assist of the night sent in on a corner where Senior Tyler Crough (Fresno, Calif.) was waiting in the box for the tap in to further extend the lead to four goals.
Then freshman striker Connor Tait-Mole (Livermore, Calif.), on in Fortin's place, got on the end of a neat through ball from senior midfielder Matthew Evans (Bury St. Edmunds, England) and added yet another goal to make the lead five 14 minutes before the break.
Right before the half junior Denzel Hartshorn (Grand Junction, CO) would put the finishing touches on the lopsided victory receiving a pass from sophomore defender Hector Lujan (Downey, Calif.) on the wing, which he would send over the head of Feist who was playing out near the top of the box.
With every available player getting minutes, the game was a full team effort. Freshman goalkeeper Oscar Sowell (Vista, Calif.) played over 65 minutes collecting four saves in relief of Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.).
Russell led the team in assists on the night with two, while Fortin and Guthrie took three shots apiece.
The win moves the Poets to 6-4-1 overall and 4-4-1 in SCIAC play. They return to action this Saturday, October 11 when they host Cal Lutheran University beginning at 7:00pm.
