LA VERNE, Calif. (Oct 19, 2022) - The Poets traveled to La Verne Wednesday to take on the Leopards, winning 16-10 in an important SCIAC matchup.

The first period proved to be an even match for the teams, as the Poets held a 4-3 advantage going into the second. The Whittier men moved the ball around the pool well throughout the period, as four different Poets scored goals. 

In the second, the Poets would find their legs and begin a scoring barrage. Ethan Saenz netted four goals in this period alone. Whittier had a 10-7 lead at the half. 

The third was another fantastic period for the Poets. Patrick Seelhorst found the back of the net twice this period and was a key factor in Whittier pulling away. By the end of the period, the score was 15-9, Whittier. 

The fourth proved to be much more of a defensive bout between the two teams. Ricky Reyes Jr. scored a power play goal, the last for the Poets, less than two minutes into the period. The Leopards scored a goal one minute later, and then the defensive battle resumed. The Whittier players communicated well with one another and were able to shut out La Verne for the remainder of the game. 

The final score was 16-10, Whittier. Four different Poets had multi-goal performances, including Reyes, Seelhorst, and Kaan Hamurculu. Saenz led with five.

The Poets' next game comes Saturday the 22nd as the men travel to Chapman for another SCIAC match at 11:00 a.m. Both teams are fighting for a spot in the SCIAC tournament.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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