Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2021) – The Whittier College women's soccer team posted a stellar defensive effort for a second game in a row, but came up shy of a second-consecutive SCIAC victory at the University of La Verne on Wednesday evening.

Senior goalkeeper Vanessa Martinez (La Mirada, Calif. / Fullerton) played one of her best games in net to date, making seven saves over the first 90 minutes to keep the visiting team in the game. Four of her saves came in the first half, but the senior didn't have to spend the entire game defending. In fact, the Poets actually outshot the Leopards over the 96-minute duration and had an advantage in every period of play except for the overtime period. Whittier also made sure to avoid starting slow, and opened the game with a pair of consecutive corner kicks within the game's first 75 seconds. From there, players such as senior Alexis Huff (Henderson, Nev. / Foothill), junior Mackenzie Reed (Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani) and freshman Elizabeth Roybal (West Covina, Calif. / South Hills) would test the opposing keeper with quality chances in front of the net. However, the Poets would put a pace on the Leopards late in the game as well, with freshman defender Sarah Blackmore (West Covina, Calif. / South Hills) getting the last chance to gain the lead in regulation by having a shot stopped by the La Verne keeper in the 89th minute.

Both teams came out loose for the first of two potential overtime periods, with freshman forward Layla Traylor (Covina, Calif. Oak) attempting the first shot. After both teams had shots blocked by the opposing defense, La Verne went on to net the winner in the 96th minute. The Poets did, however, manage to hold a team scoreless for 90 minutes for the second consecutive game, the first time they have done so in 2021.

Head Coach Derek Hanks and the Poets will play their final game of the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. against visiting California Lutheran University in the annual Senior Night game. A victory would give the Poets five SCIAC wins and would represent the most since Hanks' first year with Whittier back in 2018.

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