WHITTIER, Calif. (April 5, 2023) - The Whittier College women's lacrosse program took a tough loss Wednesday night, falling to Chapman University in a hard-fought 10–9 Wednesday night matchup at home.

The teams went back and forth in the first quarter, exchanging goals throughout the first 15 minutes of the contest. The Panthers struck first, but the Poets didn't take long to get on the board. Senior midfielder Loren Jade Sepulveda scored Whittier's first of nine goals on a free position shot.

The Poets' second goal of the contest came with the Panthers down a player. Senior attacker Samantha Nimmo took advantage of it on a free position shot, tying the game up at two.

After the Panthers went up 3–2, senior midfielder Chella Davidson tied it up at three with an assist from Sepulveda. The Panthers did score once more before the frame was over, going into the second quarter up by one.

While Davidson did score the first goal of the opening quarter for the Poets to tie the game at 4–4, that would be the only goal in the quarter for the Poets. The Panthers would score twice more times, allowing them to go into halftime leading 6–4.

Davidson and senior attacker Kiedra Hall scored unassisted goals in the third, while Davidson scored another goal in the quarter thanks to an assist from Sepulveda.

The table was set for an exciting finish, and the teams did not disappoint. Sepulveda got it started for the Poets, giving them their first lead of the contest. The lead was short-lived, as the Panthers would score the following three goals, giving them a 10–8 advantage.

In the end, the Poets could not close the gap. While Nimmo did score once more for the squad, the Poets fell short in the end.

On the stat sheet, Nimmo and Davidson tied for the most goals for the Poets with three each. Davidson and Sepulveda led the team in assists, recording two each by the end of the game.

Junior goalie Haley Hughes-Gill led the game in saves, saving 13 shots.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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