ORANGE, Calif. (March 1, 2009) – After opening up with a pair of victories in the pool on Saturday, the Occidental College Tigers took the No. 1 ranked Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens into overtime in the first game of the day on Sunday at the Chapman Tournament. In the night cap Oxy again fell in a close battle, falling 9-8 to Division II Cal State San Bernardino.

The first game of the day ended with a 13-11 overtime loss to PP. Trailing 3-1 in the second period, the Tigers pounced on the Hens with four straight scores including two goals from sophomore Karie Nickle, who tallied her second consecutive hat-trick of the tournament. The run put Oxy up 5-3 at the intermission, but Pomona-Pitzer came storming back outscoring Oxy 6-3 during the third stanza, taking a one goal lead into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers took control in the fourth quarter as senior Kelly Curtin scored two of her game-high four goals to put the Tigers ahead 11-10 with two minutes to play. Unfortunately for the black and orange it was a late fourth quarter goal by the Sagehens that sent the game into overtime. 

Neither team managed to score in the first overtime period and it was not until the final minute of the second OT that PP managed to find the back of the net, re-taking the lead. The Sagehens added another goal at the final buzzer to preserve the win. 

Nickle added a team high four steals to her three goals and Julie Monday pitched in with three steals and a pair of goals. Curtin added a pair of steals and a pair of assists to her four-goal game.

Senior goalie Laura Simanonok recorded seven blocks.

Poor shooting plagued the Tigers in a 9-8 loss to Cal State San Bernardino in the final game of the Chapman Classic. 

Oxy went up 3-1 midway into the first quarter only see the Coyotes score the final two goals of the period knotting the score at 3-3 going into the first break.

After a four minute stretch of missed opportunities by both teams, Oxy would take a 4-3 lead behind a goal from Nickle in the second, but it would be their final lead of the game. 

The Coyotes would then score three unanswered goals, taking a 6-4 lead at the half. 

Occidental stayed within reach as the teams each traded a goal in the third period but CSU San Bernardino pushed posted their biggest lead of the game with a goal early in the fourth to make it 8-5. 

At that point, Oxy came storming back as sophomore Rebecca Hofer netted three consecutive goals in a two minute span to tie the game at 8.

Unfortunately for the Tigers San Bernardino answered right back as they scored the eventual game winner on the very next possession.

Freshman Tessa Bailey-Findley pitched in with one goal, and senior Ashley Notti broke her scoreless streak with her first hat-trick of the season for the Tigers.  She and Simanonok each stole the ball twice and Simanonok recorded 10 saves in front of the cage.

Next weekend, Occidental (2-2) will head to Thousand Oaks, Calif. where they will play in the Cal Lutheran Spring Invitational.  Oxy opens up against Division I Villanova at Oaks Christian High School Saturday March 7th at 8:00am. The Tigers will also play Fresno Pacific University, Chapman University and Cal State Monterey Bay at the two-day event.