Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Sept. 18, 2021) – A collaborative effort up and down the roster led to the Whittier College men's soccer team earning three key SCIAC points against Chapman University in Saturday's home opener.

"That winning feeling is a special one, especially after so long away from the game, but tonight I'm proud of how the boys managed the emotions of the match," Head Coach Shea Harwell said. "We kept our focus and capitalized on our chances."

The game took on a physical tone from the onset with both teams looking to assert themselves and get out ahead of the other. Both Whittier and Chapman traded shots on goal as the defenses prevailed in every crucial early-game situation. Junior goalkeeper Teddy Nickerson (Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea) nabbed four of his five saves in the first half and worked well in tandem with the players in front of him to keep the Panthers off the board. The game took an ugly turn in the first half, however, when a Chapman player got sent off in the final seconds of the period. The moment did, however, open the door for Whittier to seize control of the game in the second half with a man advantage.

Freshman Lawerence Dydell (Redmond, Wash. / Woodinville) put the Poets on top just seven minutes into the second period. Junior forward Banks Telkamp (Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea) found sophomore Tommy Yarbrough (Encinitas, Calif. / La Costa Canyon) streaking down the left side, and Yarbrough proceeded to make a quick decision, crossing the ball to Dydell who effectively crashed the net, staking the Poets to the first lead of the game. Although down a man, the Panthers continued to bring the heat, but Nickerson managed to turn away the Panthers' only shot on goal of the half and superb play from the likes of defenders Daniel Hayes (Chicago, Ill. / Northfield Mount Hermon) and Jackson Busby (Lake Stevens, Wash. / Lake Stevens) caused the majority of Chapman's second-half shots to miss the target. Whittier put a stamp on the effort with an unassisted strike from sophomore midfielder Nainoa Loschky (Bellevue, Wash. / Interlake) in the 78th minute that was met with a raucous ovation from the Poet faithful. The victory moves the Poets to 1-1 in SCIAC play.

"It's always important to make sure you don't allow one loss to turn into two," Harwell said. "After the last game, we needed a strong response, so putting in a quality performance tonight against a good Chapman team will absolutely build on the confidence and momentum we had in the preseason."

Although the game bordered on chippy at times, the young Poets were unfazed. Instead, they rose to the occasion and channeled a collection of strong performances into a win against a team that won the SCIAC Postseason Tournament just three years ago. Yarbrough befuddled the Panthers all game long, using his speed and precision to lay three shots on goal on the visitors. Junior midfielder Grant Rutledge (Brea, Calif. / University of Pacific) also turned in a strong performance, playing the vast majority of the game in a position he was not used to. With nothing but SCIAC games in front of them now, the Poets are comfortable with the culture they're building and primed to show their best soccer in the coming games, weeks and months. 

"There's a lot of variables and details that add up to a successful program," Harwell said. "Right now, I believe our best quality is the culture these young men create every day on the field and in the classroom. Great men make great teams, and we've got an outstanding group of young men."

Harwell and the Poets will have an opportunity to continue their upward trajectory on Wednesday, Sept. 22 when they host California Lutheran University (4-1-1, 1-0 SCIAC) at 7 p.m.

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