LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Whittier College men's soccer team traveled to Occidental on Wednesday night for its penultimate regular-season matchup. In a contest featuring three goals over an 11-minute stretch late in the second half, the Poets and Tigers battled to a 2-2 draw. Whittier moved to 5-5-7 overall and 4-4-3 in SCIAC play, remaining fourth in the conference standings with one game left in the regular season.
Following a quiet opening 15 minutes,
Fabian Gluch registered Whittier's first shot of the evening, sending an attempt wide of the right post.
Nicholas Coop followed just over a minute later with an opportunity that was stopped by the Occidental goalkeeper.
The Poets continued to create chances as
Kevin Bravo placed a shot toward the bottom-right corner in the 18th minute, but it was blocked as Tigers kept the match scoreless.
Jack Hindmarsh created a chance in the 21st minute that went wide.
Whittier broke through in the 28th minute when Bravo found the back of the net to give the Poets a 1-0 advantage. The goal came just seconds after the Occidental goalkeeper received a yellow card.
With the lead in hand, Whittier maintained its offensive pressure. Coop put another shot on target in the 30th minute, forcing a save, before
Mikael Naesheim and Hindmarsh each tested the Tigers' goalkeeper in the closing 10 minutes of the half.
The Poets entered the break ahead 1-0 after out shooting Occidental 8-3, including six shots on goal.
The Tigers emerged from halftime with an aggressive attack, but goalkeeper
Diego Saldivar kept Whittier in front with saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes.
Nils Degardin looked to extend the Poets' lead in the 60th minute, but his attempt missed to the left. Occidental eventually found the equalizer in the 68th minute, bringing the score to 1-1.
Whittier responded by pushing forward in search of another goal.
Teodor Hamilton recorded a shot in the 69th minute, and
Patrick Nolan forced a save in the 73rd as the Poets worked to regain control.
Their efforts paid off in the 77th minute when Coop scored to put Whittier back in front, 2-1. However, the advantage was short-lived, as Occidental answered less than two minutes later to even the match at 2-2.
Both sides searched for a winner in the closing minutes. Gluch sent an attempt high in the 83rd minute before Bravo placed a shot on target in the 86th, but the Tigers' goalkeeper denied the opportunity.
Saldivar came up with two crucial saves in the final four minutes to preserve the draw and secure a point for Whittier.
The Poets held a 14-12 advantage in shots, with nine on target. Bravo and Coop each finished with three shots on goal and one goal apiece, while Saldivar played all 90 minutes and recorded five saves.
Whittier now turns its attention to its regular-season finale against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The Poets enter the matchup in fourth place in the SCIAC standings with 15 points and an opportunity to secure their postseason position. Catch all the action on
FloCollege.
Follow and show your support for the Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics).
