LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Oct. 7, 2009) – The Occidental College Tigers traveled to Whittier College to face the Poets for their eighth match in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this afternoon. An early lead would not hold as penalty kicks hurt the black and orange in a 4-2 loss. .

Despite and early lead by the Tigers thanks to a goal by Skylar Roush with an assist by first year Matthew Foley, the Poets used four second half goals to steal the win.

In an evenly matched game on paper, the teams exchanged 20 shots apiece, including four by Goucher-Lambert. Oxy accumulated 15 fouls during the game, one less than the 16 committed by the Poets. Andrew Larkin, the Tiger keeper, had six saves, one more than the Whittier keeper who had five.

The turning point in the game was a hand-ball and foul by Occidental inside the box.  Whittierscored its first goal of the game on a penalty kick by DJ Covarrubias at 49:48 to even the score at one.

A Poets bicycle kick gave the purple and gold a 2-1 lead. Seventeen minutes later Covarribias again scored on another PK to put WC up 3-1.

The other Oxy goal came off the foot of Micah Farver at the 67^th minute on an assist from Kosa Goucher-Lambert to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Whittier (5-4-1, 4-2-1 SCIAC) added an insurance goal in the 72^nd minute.

Occidental (3-7, 2-5 SCIAC) will travel to the University of La Verne (3-8, 3-4) on Saturday, Oct.10 to face the  Leopards at 11:00 a.m.

Article: Marco Castanos, Student Reporter