CLAREMONT, Calif. (Sept. 18, 2024) – It's not often a team can claim a "statement draw" but that's exactly what the Whittier College women's soccer team earned on Wednesday night at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the 10th-ranked team in the nation.
The Sagehens, along with SCIAC champion California Lutheran University, were one of two SCIAC teams last season to finish the regular season unbeaten. On Wednesday, the Poets came within seven minutes of doing just that. Head Coach
Derek Hanks and the Poets got on the board in the 32nd minute when sophomore forward and incumbent SCIAC Newcomer of the Year from 2023
Madeline Traylor (Covina, Calif. / Charter Oak) weaved between defenders to beat the opposing keeper and stake the visitors to an early lead.
The Poets defended well for the ensuing 51 minutes despite enduring a barrage of shots in a game that somewhat resembled a track meet. Junior goalkeeper
Mya Rodriguez (Visalia, Calif. / El Diamante) acquitted herself well in spite of this, making eight saves to help lift the visiting team. However, Pomona-Pitzer showed its championship mettle in the 83rd minute, tying the game on a corner kick to force a draw in the SCIAC opener. Nevertheless, Whittier showed it can hang with not only one of the top teams in the conference, but one of the top teams in the nation. Additionally, six different players registered shots on goal, and the depth scoring behind the younger Traylor sister will play a crucial role in the team's success this season.
Hanks and the Poets will look to parlay the momentum into their first SCIAC win of 2024 when they host Occidental College on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
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