WHITTIER, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2021) – Freshman Layla Traylor (Covina, Calif. / Oak) and the Whittier College women's soccer team kept things competitive with SCIAC foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Wednesday night, creating several near goal-scoring opportunities over the final 45 minutes.

Traylor's ability to get open in transition aided Whittier, particularly in the second half where the Poets outshot the Athenas 5-4. One such opportunity came when classmate Shayla Sakkakhanaune (Clovis, Calif. Buchanan) nearly connected to Traylor with what would have likely resulted in the Poets' first goal of the game. Another chance saw Traylor fire off a shot from a tight angle coming down the left the side of the box, which the opposing goalkeeper was just able to get a hand on to deflect it away. Sakkakhanaune, meanwhile, fired off a pair of hard shots herself from the right side in the first half, one of which found a path to the keeper.

Additionally, five different Poets registered shots on goal during the game, and found a variety of ways to threaten the Athenas throughout the full 90 minutes. Senior Vanessa Martinez (La Mirada, Calif. / Fullerton), who logged her second start of the season made six saves for Whittier, four of which came in the first half as the 10 women in front of controlled the tempo over the final 45.

Head Coach Derek Hanks and the Poets will be back at home on Saturday, Oct. 2 when they host the University of Redlands at 11 a.m.

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