WHITTIER, Calif. – Chance after chance came for the Whittier College men's soccer team Sunday morning, and the Poets eventually found the response they needed.
Jack Born scored his second goal of the season,
Nils Degardin added another assist and Whittier erased a halftime deficit to battle Elmhurst University to a 1-1 draw at Memorial Stadium.
The result kept the Poets unbeaten through their five-game season-opening homestand as Whittier now turns its attention toward SCIAC play.
Whittier was active around the attacking third from the start, producing 11 shots during the opening 45 minutes.
Guillermo Ramirez,
Nicholas Coop, Degardin, and
Jack Hindmarsh all helped create chances as the Poets tested Elmhurst throughout the half.
The Bluejays managed to withstand the pressure and broke through in the 43rd minute, scoring late in the half to take a 1-0 advantage into the break.
Whittier responded by turning the pressure up another level after halftime.
The Poets fired 17 shots in the second half and earned eight corner kicks as they continued searching for the equalizer.
That breakthrough came in the 60th minute.
Degardin helped create the opportunity and found Born, who finished to bring Whittier level at 1-1.
The goal was Born's second of the season and third of his career. Degardin picked up his third assist of the year, continuing a strong start after leading Whittier in assists last season.
The Poets kept pushing after tying the match.
Ramirez finished with five shots and put three on goal, while Hindmarsh also took five shots and tested the goalkeeper twice. Coop added four shots with three on frame, and Degardin put all three of his attempts on goal.
Whittier continued to create opportunities through the closing minutes but could not find the winner.
The Poets finished with a season-high 28 shots, doubling Elmhurst's second-half total and holding a 28-17 advantage for the match. Whittier put 14 attempts on goal and earned 10 corner kicks, including eight after halftime.
Edgar Neco added four shots, while
Bobo Andersson provided two attempts off the bench. Born and
Kevin Bravo each put their lone shots on goal.
While Whittier generated pressure at one end,
Diego Saldivar delivered another strong performance at the other.
Saldivar set a new NCAA career high in saves while playing all 90 minutes and kept Elmhurst from adding to its first-half goal despite nine shots on target from the visitors.
The goalkeeper made several important stops after halftime as Elmhurst looked to regain the lead, helping give the Poets opportunities to continue pushing forward.
The draw closed an unbeaten five-game homestand to begin the season, with Whittier earning one victory and four ties before heading away from Memorial Stadium for the first time.
The Poets now turn their attention to conference play.
Whittier travels to Claremont, Calif. on Wednesday, September 16, to open SCIAC action against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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