Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Soccer team remains hot as they held on for the 1-0 victory over Pomona-Pitzer Wednesday evening and their fourth straight victory at home.
Alexi Cruz (Long Beach, Calif.) collected her third straight shutout as Whittier improves to 4-0, 1-0 SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer drops to 2-3, 0-1 SCIAC.
Madison Shipherd (Whittier, Calif.) who has been the offensive powerhouse for the Purple & Gold this season again added to her total as she connected on a free kick early, which makes her total seven now in the past three games.
The free kick came in the 11th minute when she took a through ball past the last Sagehen defender before being taken down just outside the box. She then stepped up and bent a shot over the wall to the bottom left corner of the goal, which got past Annie Wedel putting the Poets in front 1-0.
Tess Peppis (Eugene, OR) had an opportunity minutes later to give the Poets some cushion as she received a ball in the middle from Shipherd but her shot ricocheted off the post keeping PP in the contest.
This goal would stand the rest of the game despite an onslaught of shots by the Sagehens in the final five minutes, which put the Poets under some pressure. Katie Tao had a good look on a corner kick that dropped in front of the goal in the 86th minute but it was saved by Cruz over the end line.
The Sagehens added another three shots in the final three minutes from Agueda Dudley-Berrios, Olivia DeJong, and Natalie Barbaresi but each were denied by Cruz once again. Barbaresi's last shot came with just under 10 seconds remaining, and Cruz was able to hold onto the ball to kill off the final seconds.
Whittier maintained a 7-2 edge in shots in the first half and had a 12-3 edge through 85 minutes, before the Sagehens closed the gap to 12-7 with their late flurry. Cruz finished with five saves, with four of them coming in the final five minutes, while Shipherd took four shots with one being on goal.
Whittier has their first road test this Saturday, September 19 as they take on La Verne beginning at 7:00pm. This game begins a three game road stand, which will include La Verne, Chapman (Sept. 23 @ 4:00pm), and Redlands (Sept. 27 @ 7:00pm).
