Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

LA VERNE, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2021) – Whittier College juniors Banks Telkamp (Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea) and Grant Rutledge (Brea, Calif. / University of Pacific) scored for the men's soccer team at the University of La Verne on Wednesday night in a game that saw the Poets come up just shy of a third-consecutive victory.

Telkamp staked Whittier to a one-goal lead in the 35th minute when senior defender Daniel Hayes (Chicago, Ill. Northfield Mount Hermon) found him for the open look. Telkamp threatened the Leopards all game, coming up with four of the Poets' six shots on net. When La Verne knotted the game at one-goal apiece in the second half, Rutledge came through at the 70-minute mark to put Whittier back on top. However, after a series of substitutions from both sides, the Leopards struck fast with consecutive goals in a three-minute stretch to take the lead from the visitors.

Whittier brought the pressure over the final five minutes and even generated a prime chance to tie the game back up. A Rutledge corner kick found its target: the head of senior midfielder Parker McDonald (Corona, Calif. Santiago), but the header attempt sailed just high of the net. The Poets will, however, have an opportunity to exact some revenge on the Leopards when they play in Whittier on Wednesday, Oct. 27, for Senior Night.

Head Coach Shea Harwell and the Poets will look to rebound on Saturday, Sept. 18 when they host Chapman University (2-2) at 7 p.m.

Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!