Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – In a must win game, the Whittier College Women's Soccer team played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer as they played to a draw Saturday evening against Chapman University.
This game marks the third overtime contest this season for the Purple & Gold as they moved to 8-4-1, 5-4-1 SCIAC still holding onto the no. 4 slot in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.
The Poets fell to the Panthers on the road back on September 23 1-0 in OT being held to just one shot but this time around it was all Whittier as they outshot CU 16-10, had seven corner kicks to their five and had a number of great looks to get on the scoreboard.
It was a physical contest throughout with five yellow cards being drawn, with four coming from Chapman. Whittier had a number great looks in front of the goal the first coming from Madison Shipherd (Whittier, Calif.) in the fourth minute who just missed adding to her SCIAC lead going near post but barely missing wide.
Shipherd would get another good look in the 25th minute to put the Poets on the scoreboard with an open net but a Chapman defender wound up coming up with a block. She would get another two looks before the half both coming on corner kicks from freshman Mikaila Cravalho-Myers (Mililani, HI) but both would be off the mark missing high and wide.
Whittier pressed the offensive attack in the second with Lauren Kai (Torrance, Calif.) and Miranda Yzabal (Whittier, Calif.) coming out with two shots in the box but both being saved by Panther keeper Kristin Kleinow.
Leah Kolek (Diamond Bar, Calif.) would get the next opportunity in the 61st minute but her shot would come up blocked in front of the goal as well.
In the first OT period, Chapman pressed taking two shots with both being high. In the second overtime session, Whittier would regain the momentum taking three shots with the last two being blocked and saved that ended the game in a 0-0 tie.
Shipherd took 10 shots for the game with three being on goal, while Yzabal and Kai each recorded two. Alexi Cruz (Long Beach, Calif.) despite not picking up the win totaled her sixth shutout of the season, while picking up four saves.
Whittier returns to the pitch this Wednesday, October 21 when they host Redlands beginning at 7:00pm.
