Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – It was a story of two halves once again for the Whittier College Women's Soccer team as they gave up two goals in the second half en route to a loss to Claremont-M-S Wednesday evening.
The Purple & Gold fall now to 3-2-2, 2-2-1 SCIAC, while Claremont-M-S improves to 5-2, 3-1 SCIAC.
It was a scoreless first half with CMS holding the advantage on shots 8-5. The Athenas also provided pressure on Poet keeper freshman Vanessa Martinez (La Mirada, Calif.) who was forced to come up with four saves in the first 12 minutes.
Midway through the half WC was able to get off three consecutive shots within a five minute window from Jazmin Gomez (Norwalk, Calif.), Miranda Yzabal (Whittier, Calif.) and Clarissa Field (Whittier, Calif.) but all three would be off the mark.
In the second half Whittier was forced back into their defensive zone getting outshot 15-7. With 24:41 to play in the half, the Athenas were able to find the back of the net when Kira Favakeh finished back post following a cross from Emily Kussick. It looked like CMS was going to add to their lead later in the frame with Rhiann Holman sending a shot off the crossbar and Sarah Tocher taking a strike, which would get saved over the endline off a corner.
The Poets looked for the equalizer with Kanoe Morihara taking a shot in space inside the box with ten minutes left in the game but her attempt would get blocked.
Then in the 83rd minute, CMS added insurance with Katrina Ostrom finding Holman in the box off a corner, putting the game out of reach.
Martinez played all 90:00 minutes and finished with double digit saves with 10 for the first time in her career. Whittier was outshot 23-12 on the game and was at a disadvantage on corner kicks at 5-1.
Yzabal led the offense finishing with three shots and Morihara and Gomez would each add two.
Whittier hosts Pomona-Pitzer this Saturday, September 22 beginning at 7:00pm.
