WHITTIER, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2022)- The Poets took on the Occidental Tigers in tonight's SCIAC matchup in their first game in a week, so the men were looking to come out fresh and attack. Ultimately, Whittier fell 14-11 after a strong Oxy fourth quarter.

The first quarter was a scoring fest with seven total goals scored. Ricky Reyes Jr. netted the first two goals for the Poets, but the Tigers took an an early 4-2 lead. Tommy Baier closed the gap at the end of the first though with a goal to make the score 4-3 Oxy. 

Oxy continued its onslaught of goals as the second period began, and the Tigers soon had a 6-3 lead. The Poets were able to fight back though as Reyes deposited his third goal of the day. Seelhorst also netted two goals. The score was 8-5 Tigers at the half. 

After the half, Whittier began their comeback. They played exceptional defense throughout the period and only allowed 1 goal. Whittier on the other hand was able to find the back of the net 3 different times and brought the score to 8-9 Tigers. 

The fourth started and Whittier continued its comeback, eventually tying the score at 10. However, its comeback would end there as the Tigers rattled off four unanswered goals to take a 14-10 lead. Reyes tried to lead the team back in the end, but the deficit proved too steep, and the Poets lost 14-11. 

Once again, the Poets were led in goals by Reyes, who had four. Shropshire, Seelhorst, and Baier also recorded multiple goals in the contest. 

The Poets are now 2-6 in conference play and stand at seventh in the conference with just six spots in the upcoming SCIAC Postseason Tournament and three conference games remaining for the Poets. Whittier's next game will be this Saturday the 5th on the road against the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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