Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CUPERTINO, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team struggled Tuesday to find their offensive spark in their season opener as they fell 5-0 to the Oaks of Menlo College.

The Oaks managed to control all facets of the game from shots (14-5), shots on goal (11-2), and corner kicks (5-2), which proved instrumental in their victory.

The scoring got started just nine minutes into the first half when Luis Nunez worked off a Ryan Onizuka assist.  But the Nunez/Onizuka combination was not done yet. Just over five minutes later, Nunez created space in the box, making a run at the far post when he slipped a pass back to a charging Issac Miselewicz who redirected it near post past an outstretched Jorge Rivas (Lake Forest, Calif.). 

Nunez put himself into the stat sheet once again with his second goal of the match. This time, Nunez was found by Connor Buckley. Goals four and five of the half were notched by a pair of freshmen, Gera Jimenez and Robert Cowan. Jimenez was set up once again from Onizuka and the freshman buried it. Cowan scored his second goal of the campaign off an Oscar Reyes assist to make it 5-0 where it would remain.

Moncef Bouzar (Salinas, Calif.) and Connor Tait-Mole (Livermore, Calif.) led the Poet offense with both of their shots being on goal, with freshman Jacob Conlon (Fullerton, Calif.) taking the third.

Rivas played the first half and allowed five goals against seven shots, while picking up two saves.  Junior transfer Griffin Thomas (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) made his first start donning the Purple & Gold playing the second half holding the Oaks scoreless, while picking up four saves.   

Whittier returns home tomorrow as they begin preparations for their last non-conference match-up with Biola University on the road this Saturday, September 6 beginning at 7:00pm.