Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team saw their Senior Night spoiled Saturday evening as they fell 3-2 to Pomona-Pitzer in their 2014 season finale.
2014 marks the first time in the past five years that the men's soccer team has not made an appearance in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament as they finish with a 7-9-2, 5-9-2 SCIAC record placing them 7th in the SCIAC standings.
Prior to the game, Head Coach Shea Harwell recognized his ten seniors who were playing in their final collegiate game. These included Willie O'Malley (Gig harbor, WA), Tyler Crough (Fresno, Calif.), Alex Mitchell (Bakersfield, Calif.), Matthew Evans (Bury St. Edmunds, England), Brian Russell (Torrance, Calif.), Devin Guthrie (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Lucas Depinna (Portland, OR), Alonso Caballero (Woodburn, OR), Alex Melinkovich (Ottawa, ON, Canada), and Khaled Gara (Jatt, Israel).
Pomona-Pitzer who was fighting for a home game in the semi-finals of the SCIAC Post Season Tournament had to fight and hold off a Poet comeback.
The Sagehens struck first two minutes in from Voja Maric who got lucky from the corner putting one between the legs of freshman keeper Oscar Sowell (Vista, Calif.).
But right before the half Dylan Fortin (San Diego, Calif.) would get behind the equalizer when he was found in the box by Russell for his seventh goal of the season.
Out of the half, Nathan Shekita would put PP back in front with an unassisted goal and would strike again in the 62nd minute that moved the score to 3-1. Whittier responded just 2:46 later on a James Suri (Lake Forest, Calif.) goal to close the lead to 3-2 but that would be the final points added as the Poets' final shot by Mitchell would be saved by Nigel Brady.
Whittier outshot the Sagehens 17-10 on the evening, Sowell picked up four saves in goal and the offense was led by Russell who finished with five shots and two assists.
Pomona-Pitzer will host third-seeded Chapman in the SCIAC semifinals on Thursday at 2:30, while Redlands will host Occidental in the other semifinal.
The two semifinal winners will face each other in the championship game on Saturday at the sight of the highest remaining seed for the right to represent the SCIAC in the NCAA Tournament.
