Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Soccer team threw a wrinkle into the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings Saturday night following an impressive 2-1 victory over Chapman University.
Whittier keeps their SCIAC Post Season Tournament hopes alive with the win and improve to 5-6, 4-5 SCIAC. The Poets currently sit 5th in the SCIAC Standings, a game behind Chapman.
The previous time these two teams met, Chapman cruised to the 4-0 shutout. But this time around the Purple & Gold were ready outshooting the Panthers 19-13 and holding the edge on corner kicks 4-3.
Chapman took an early lead in the first half scoring in the 17th minute from Patrick Quinn on a controversial call. Javier Bernaldo took a shot for CU, which was saved by Teddy Nickerson (Seattle, WA). The rebound would go to Quinn who would take a shot from the right side where freshman Hayden Barnouw (Seattle, WA) was standing. He would get a head on the ball deflecting it out but the side official said that Barnouw was standing over the crease when he made contact making it the go-ahead goal.
In the second half it was all Whittier totaling ten shots and that aggressive play was crucial as they would add the equalizer and game-winner within the final twenty minutes of regulation and both within eight minutes of each other. The first came in the 70th minute from Alejandro Trujillo (Buena Park, Calif.). Matteo Loi (Kirkland, WA) dribbled the ball up the middle and moved it around before having it find the foot of Trujillo who finished bottom right corner.
But Whittier wasn't done there, as they would tack on the eventual game-winner eight minutes later this time from Parker McDonald (Corona, Calif.). There was a foul on the far left side/corner of the field and Scott Clark (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) would take the free kick. It was a left cross into the box, which found McDonald on the 6 where he would finish with a header.
Nickerson picked up the win between the posts collecting six saves.
Offensively, Loi took five shots, with Nicolas Barrera (Buffalo, Calif.) taking three and Trujillo adding another three with two of them being on goal.
Whittier looks to carry momentum into Wednesday, October 10 when they host Occidental College beginning at 7:00pm.
