Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Soccer team dropped their second straight contest in overtime Saturday evening, this time to Pomona-Pitzer 3-2.
The Purple & Gold controlled every facet of the game but couldn't hold a 2-0 lead midway through the second half as the Sagehens would come from behind scoring three unanswered to steal the road victory.
Whittier has now lost three of their last four as they drop to 1-3, 0-2 SCIAC.
Jacob Conlon (Placentia, Calif.) got the scoring started in the 13th minute from just outside the box, taking a strike from long range with his right that curled past Sagehen keeper Ben Mitchell to the bottom left corner.
In the second, Whittier added to their lead this time from James Suri (Lake Forest, Calif.) as he would take a cross from Connor Tait-Mole (Livermore, Calif.) on a counter that he would send to the back of the net giving Whittier a 2-0 lead.
Pomona had an opportunity to cut the deficit in half minutes later from Voja Maric pulling out Poet keeper Jorge Rivas (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) but center defender Gonzalo Martinez Zorzi (Nechochea, Argentina) was able to slide in behind the Poet keeper and deflect the shot out of bounds that kept WC in front 2-0 at the half.
But Pomona wouldn't be denied as they would add their first goal of the game six minutes later off the foot of Andy Parks who sent in a shot from just past midfield over an outstretched hand of Rivas who was playing out in the goalie box. This cut the deficit in half and they continued to pour it on from there.
The game-tying goal came in the 83rd minute from Chase Abelson. There was a foul on Whittier just outside the box and he would step up and would bend it in but somehow the ball never touched a Sagehen or a Poet and would get past Rivas to the far post that deadlocked the game.
In extra time, both teams played aggressively. Tait-Mole had a great look for the game-winner :21 seconds in but would be denied by defender Bjorn Sigurdsson who came in with a huge defensive save.
As time was winding down, Pomona got an opportunity in the box. Connor Ford came down the wing and crossed in a ball to Parks who managed to slip past the back line and tap in the golden goal propelling Pomona to the come from behind victory.
Pomona outshot Whittier 19-12, but the Poets managed to hold the slight edge on corner kicks 8-6.
Darren Holmes (Newcastle, UK) led the offense with three shots Rivas picked up six saves against nine shots.
Whittier returns to action this week on the road for two games. The first coming against Chapman University on September 14 at 4:00pm and the other against Redlands on September 17 at 1:00pm.
