WHITTIER, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Senior
Jazey Zavala (Pomona, Calif. / Diamond Ranch / Fullerton College) of the Whittier College men's soccer team scored for the second time in as many games to give the Poets over the No. 3-ranked team in the region in Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College on Saturday night. The win is the program's most significant since the COVID-19 stoppage of play, and capped off an unbeaten day for Whittier Athletics as part of the annual Fall Sports Crawl.
Zavala got the Poets on the board midway through the first half as he scored off a nice dish from junior midfielder
Rowan Slater (Fort Collins, Colo. / Poudre). The senior scored a nice effort goal against the University of La Verne late in Wednesday's game to give his team life, and gave the Poets a different type of life on Saturday with the go-ahead goal against one of the SCIAC's most established men's soccer programs.
The highlights didn't stop there. With 10 minutes remaining in the second half, freshman striker
Mikael Naesheim (Stavenger, Norway / Hetland) delivered a pass to
Nils Degardin (Paris, France / Lake Washington) on the left side who ultimately finesses his way through two defenders to pop a flashy low-ball past the CMS keeper for an important insurance goal. The Poets' continued aggression on the offensive end after Zavala's go-ahead goal proved to be a key to victory. DeGardin's incredible highlight up top came as a result of that, but by remaining aggressive, Whittier succeeded in dictating the pace of the game on its own terms while continuing to limit the Stags' time of possession as a consequence to this.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Breckon Robirds (Temecula, Calif. / Chaparral) had one of the best games of his young career, posting an eight-save clean sheet while performing at a high level for the full 90 minutes.
Head Coach
Shea Harwell and the Poets (2-2 SCIAC) will travel to Pasadena on Wednesday, Oct. 2 to face off with Caltech at 4 p.m.
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