THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (April 15, 2009) – A week ago the Tigers earned the No. 1 Division III ranking, but since that time they have lost a pair of close league games to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes Pomona-Pitzer (currently No. 2) 11-8 and the current No. 1 ranked California Lutheran University Regals, 13-12, in sudden death overtime on the road at the Samuelson Aquatics Center.

Oxy jumped out to a 3-0 lead en route to a 3-1 advantage after the opening quarter of action today in Thousand Oaks, but the Regals stormed back in the second period to pull the game to 6-5 at the intermission.

Occidental looked to the sophomore duo of Karie Nickle and Julie Monday in the first half for five of the Tigers' six goals, with the final score coming from senior Ashley Notti, who returned to the pool for just the second time since being sidelined for a couple of weeks with an injury.

Cal Lutheran (15-12, 6-0 SCIAC) opened the third quarter with three unanswered goals before Rebecca Hofer cut the two-goal deficit to 8-7 entering the final stanza. Nickle exploded for three more goals in the fourth quarter while Monday added  one of her own to tally three. Oxy trailed 11-9 with 2:40 to play when Nickle found the back of the net for the fifth time. After a defensive stop and an Occidental timeout, Nickle again found the ball in her hands. She quickly unleashed for her game-high sixth goal, knotting the teams at 11-11, sending the game into overtime.

After exchanging goals in overtime, the Tigers won the coin toss and the sprint to obtain the first possession of the sudden death period. An Oxy turnover with 1:30 left to play allowed Bobby Sanders to steal the ball and Meredith Butte, who scored three times, used a spinner lob from six meters out to put the Regals up 13-12, sending the disappointed Tigers home with their second consecutive loss.

Senior goalie Laura Simanonok made 15 saves in the game.

On Wednesday afternoon the Tigers suffered their first loss after being named the Nation's top team. In a battle with the Sagehens, Oxy never led as they fell 11-8 on the road. Occidental was within a goal at the end of the first and second quarters, down 6-5 at the break, but Pomona-Pitzer added three goals in the third while Oxy scored just one. In the final quarter of play PP added three more and the Tigers managed to score just twice, which was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Nickle and Tessa Bailey Findley each scored a pair against the Sagehens and Kelly Curtain drew four ejection with a two of assists. Simanonok made nine blocks.

Occidental (13-10, 4-2 SCIAC) will return to Taylor Pool on Saturday when they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (8-12, 3-3SCIAC) in the final home contest of the 2009 season.