CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Poets took the field on Saturday in Claremont against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens and came away with a 2-0 defeat.
Whittier nearly took the lead in the 15th minute as Nils Degardin forced the Sagehens' keeper to make a stop.
Moments later, Pomona-Pitzer opened the scoring, taking a 1-0 advantage with a strike that found the back of the net.
Degardin tested the keeper again in the 30th minute, but was denied for a second time.
Whittier continued to threaten throughout the first half and generated opportunities off corner kicks, ultimately winning the corner kick battle, 4-3.
Eleven minutes into the second half, Pomona-Pitzer capitalized again, doubling its advantage to 2-0.
As Whittier pushed forward, Clayton Gutierrez had an attempt saved in the final 10 minutes. Teodor Hamilton provided one last effort for the Poets, but the Sagehens contained the late pressure and held on for the 2-0 result.
Whittier generated 11 shots compared to Pomona-Pitzer's 15, but the Poets were unable to convert any of their four attempts on target.
The Poets, now 3-3-5 overall and 2-2-1 in SCIAC play, will look to bounce back at Memorial Stadium as they host the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Catch all the action on FloCollege.
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