Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – It came down to the final second of overtime Saturday night as the Whittier College Men's Soccer team saw the Stags of Claremont-M-S add the game-winner as time expired.
CMS forward Justin Gadalla headed in a corner kick with just one second left in the second overtime session as the Poets suffered their most dramatic loss on the season.
This is the second straight overtime game for the Purple & Gold as they move to 5-9, 4-8 SCIAC, while Claremont-M-S improves to 13-2, 10-2 SCIAC.
Regulation was played evenly on the stat sheet, but CMS controlled extra time outshooting the Poets 7-1. It appeared the game would end in a tie, though, before the Stags earned a corner kick in the final :10 seconds. With no time to organize, Cole Smith took the corner and drove a ball far post where Gadalla was waiting winning a header in traffic and finishing the game winner on a buzzer beater.
The Poets have now suffered back-to-back losses with the game-winning goal coming in the final seconds of overtime. Regulation was tight with CMS holding an edge 16-14 on shots but on corner kicks, both teams added five apiece.
The 14th minute provided a couple opportunities for the Poets. Matteo Loi (Kirkland, WA) opened with a shot off frame, which was saved by Stag keeper Jacob Mays handing WC a corner kick. Loi then took the ensuing kick and found Scott Clark (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) far post for a header but his shot would also turn up empty as Mays would come away with another stop.
Early in the second half the Poets again created opportunities taking two shots and two corner kicks in the opening two minutes. Alejandro Trujillo (Buena Park, Calif.) had two looks with one being blocked and the other going wide. Loi then had two attempts blocked and Banks Telkamp (Seattle, WA) added two headers, which were both saved by Mays.
CMS finished the game winning the edge on shots 23-15 due to the 7-1 advantage in extra time and had the narrow victory on corner kicks 7-5.
Trujillo finished with six shots on the game and Loi added five. Freshman Teddy Nickerson (Seattle, WA) played all 110:00 minutes and collected five saves.
Whittier has their final home game of the season this Wednesday, October 24 when they welcome in Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 7:00pm.
