WHITTIER, Calif. – The Poets hosted the Redlands Bulldogs on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat despite a late comeback effort.
Whittier's defense was tested within seconds of kickoff as the Bulldogs fired an early shot directly into the hands of goalkeeper Diego Saldivar.
Redlands maintained its offensive pressure and capitalized on another scoring opportunity in the third minute, taking an early 1-0 lead.
As the Poets looked to respond, the Bulldogs struck again in the 12th minute, doubling their advantage to 2-0.
The opening half concluded with both teams recording four shots apiece, leaving Whittier searching for an answer heading into the break.
The Poets displayed their determination in the second half, creating several scoring chances. Kevin Bravo tested the Redlands goalkeeper with an attempt in the 59th minute.
Guillermo Ramirez followed with another opportunity in the 76th minute, placing a shot toward the upper-right corner that forced the Bulldogs' keeper into action.
With seven minutes remaining, Ben Harrison broke through for his first goal of the season, slipping a shot past the goalkeeper to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Whittier continued to push forward in search of an equalizer, generating a corner kick in the 85th minute as the pressure mounted.
Despite the late offensive surge, the Poets were unable to find another goal before the final whistle, falling just short of completing the comeback.
Whittier outshot Redlands 12-7 and will look to build on its second-half momentum when it travels to face the Caltech Beavers on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m.
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