WHITTIER, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2024) -- Senior goalkeeper Anthony Chavoya (Fullerton, Calif. / Valencia / San Diego Christian College) of the Whittier College men's soccer team put on a show, and ended his Whittier career on a high note with a clean sheet against SCIAC regular season champions University of Redlands on Saturday evening.

Chavoya had a game for the ages, stymieing one of the SCIAC's top offenses to the tune of eight saves. However, Chavoya was not the only Poet to step up to the plate on Saturday night and send Whtitier's four senior players out on a high note. Classmate Ty Wilson (Kirkland, Wash. / Lake Washington), a fixture in the Poets' lineup the last three years, played the entire game at center back and showed incredible poise and communication to limit the traffic in front of his keeper. One such play came in the waning minutes of Saturday's game and allowed the Poets time to reset, refocus, and finish the task at hand.

It wouldn't have been a win, however, without the go-ahead goal, which came courtesy of junior midfielder Rowan Slater (Fort Collins, Colo. / Poudre) and sophomore forward Axel Clark (Napa Valley, Calif. / Napa). Clark showed he could run with the Bulldogs' defenders earlier in the game, and eventually knocked in the go-ahead goal at the 13-minute mark off a beautifully-placed free kick from Slater. The resulting play created a rebound opportunity and Clark, in the right place at the right time, fired it in from point-blank range.

For the game's first 60-plus minutes, the Poets showed they could not only compete with Redlands, but be the better team, controlling possession and controlling tempo. In the game's final 30 minutes or so, the Bulldogs began to find their footing offensively, as they began to threaten with chances. However, Chavoya and the Poets stood tall in the end, with the exclamation point coming in the final five minutes when the senior dove to his right and turned away a Redlands penalty kick. Minutes later, Chavoya and the Poets had a victory to complete arguably their best all-around team performance of the season.

Along with Chavoya and Wilson, seniors Jazey Zavala (Pomona, Calif. / Diamond Ranch / Fullerton College) and Dominic Morello (Redwood City, Calif. / Woodside) were recognized for their contributions to the program before the game.

Head Coach Shea Harwell and the Poets bounced back in a huge way this season. While they won just four SCIAC games, two of those wins came against the top-two teams in the conference. Meanwhile, the Poets' attack featured more players and thus, more looks from all over the field, while the defense fell back on skill and athleticism to compensate for the lack of experience. With just four players set to depart, the Poets could be in for a monster 2025.

 

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