CLAREMONT, Calif. – Whittier opened its 2026 SCIAC men's soccer season with a bang, taking down the No. 12-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags on the road. A second-half winner from N 21
Nicholas Coop, assisted by 11
Nils Degardin, found the back of the net to give the Poets a 1-0 start in conference play.
Whittier was knocking on the door throughout the first half, recording eight shots, including four on target, compared to four total shots from CMS. The Poets fired back-to-back shots on frame in the fifth minute, but both were saved.
In the 29th minute, 44
Teodor Hamilton cut inside from the right side and set his sights on goal. His shot looked promising but narrowly missed over the crossbar for a CMS goal kick. Whittier closed the half with two corner kicks in the final five minutes but could not convert.
The Poets headed to the locker room locked in a scoreless 0-0 battle.
Both teams came out firing in the second half, trading two shots apiece early in the period. Whittier goalkeeper 0
Diego Saldivar made two saves to keep the match scoreless.
Both sides continued to create chances until the Poets finally capitalized in the 65th minute. 6
Jack Born found Coop downfield with a long ball before two of Whittier's captains, Coop and Degardin, combined on a give-and-go. Degardin returned the ball to Coop, who did the rest and slotted his shot past the Stags' goalkeeper for the match's only goal.
The pressure intensified down the stretch as CMS attempted six shots over the final 25 minutes, but Whittier's defense held strong to secure the 1-0 victory over the nationally ranked Stags.
Catch Whittier men's soccer as the Poets take on the Azusa Pacific Cougars tomorrow, Sept. 19, at home at 7 p.m. The match will also be available on
FloCollege.
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