Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
CLAREMONT, Calif. – For the sixth time this season the Whittier College Women's Soccer team has made their way into overtime as they played the Athenas of Claremont-M-S to a scoreless draw Saturday night.
It's the 5th tie on the season for the Purple & Gold as they move to 5-4-5, 4-4-4 SCIAC. With the one point the Poets have pulled within three of Claremont-M-S and are six points out of 4th place.
Both teams had quality looks in extra time. The Athenas started off overtime with Emily Kussick driving a ball from the top of the 18 that forced Poet keeper Vanessa Martinez (La Mirada, Calif.) into a diving save. The next corner for the Athenas, Sarah Tocher got a head on the ball and sent it high from the 6-yard box.
On the other end, Clarissa Field (Whittier, Calif.) forced Claire Hamson into a diving save opportunity giving Whittier a corner kick. Then on the ensuing pitch, Hamson was called again making another save off an Analisa Murillo (Murrieta, Calif.) connection. Martinez was then called minutes later this time as Holman would get off a one-timer from 10-yards out but Martinez was able to make the stop.
During regulation, the Poets had a pair of great looks early in the second half as Miranda Yzabal (Whittier, Calif.) hit the crossbar from 30-yards out and freshman Joey Wescott (Agoura Hills, Calif.) missing wide :13 seconds later. But after that, CMS controlled the rest of regulation outshooting Whittier 11-2 over the final 35 minutes.
Whittier was outshot 21-13 on the game but held the edge on corner kicks 6-5, which included four coming in extra time.
Martinez posted another shutout, her seventh on the season as she totaled seven saves. Yzabal led the offense with four shots and Jazmin Gomez (Norwalk, Calif.) added three.
Whittier travels this Wednesday, October 24 to take on the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 4:00pm.
