THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Whittier faced off against the Cal Lutheran Regals in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday night. The Poets fell 6-1, with Angelina Espinoza netting Whittier's lone goal.
Cal Lutheran came out aggressive, testing the Poets' defense early. Sofia Lopez made two saves in the opening eight minutes to keep the Regals at bay. In the ninth minute, Cal Lutheran broke through and took a 1-0 advantage.
Less than a minute later, the Regals found the back of the net once more, extending their lead to 2-0.
Cal Lutheran recorded two more shots before adding a third goal in the 23rd minute. Lopez remained busy between the posts, making another stop in the 27th minute.
Whittier began to find its rhythm late in the first half as Victoria Martinez fired a shot toward the net. As the ball bounced around inside the six-yard box, Espinoza was there to clean it up for the Poets, finding the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Regals threatened twice more before halftime, but Lopez came up with another save to keep Whittier within two goals heading into the break.
Cal Lutheran opened the second half with four corner kicks in the first six minutes. Lopez continued to stand strong in goal, turning away attempts in the 52nd and 53rd minutes.
The ball remained primarily in Whittier's defensive half to start the period, but the Poets held their ground. Lopez made two more stops in the 62nd and 68th minutes to keep the score at 3-1.
In the 80th minute, Cal Lutheran broke through for its fourth goal. Nena Resendiz Saldiva looked to respond with a shot on target, but her attempt was saved. The Regals added another score roughly five minutes later, increasing their advantage to 5-1.
Adina Johnson created one final opportunity for Whittier, but her shot sailed over the crossbar. A Cal Lutheran penalty kick in the 89th minute capped off the scoring, securing the 6-1 result.
The Poets will hit the road again on Saturday, Oct. 10, when they travel to Redlands to face the Bulldogs at 11 a.m. Catch all the action on FloCollege.
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