LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 14, 2010) – Entering the
afternoon both teams were 3-0 in Southern California
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play during the 2010 season. A
competitive, tight game, that was never separated by more than four
goals throughout regulation, ended with the Tigers taking a 16-12
decision over the Cal Lutheran University Regals at Taylor Pool.
Defense, an unstoppable eight-goal performance by junior
Julie Monday and timely saves from goalie
Rachele Adeleye were too much for the recently
released Division III Poll No. 1 ranked Regals.
Oxy won the first sprint and opened up a quick 2-0 lead behind
goals from Tessa Bailey-Findley and Monday. CLU
came back to eliminate that Oxy advantage when senior Joy Cyprian,
scored back-to-back goals to knot things up in the early goings.
Occidental then got the second goal of the afternoon from Monday to
give Oxy a 3-2 lead. CLU put in a pair more goals late in the
opening period to claim a 4-3 lead.
Down 5-4, Oxy reeled off three consecutive goals to build a lead
they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The Tigers
held the slightest one-goal advantage, 8-7, at the intermission.
In the third quarter, the Black and Orange had build a two-goal
lead at 13-11 thanks in large part to a pair of back-to-back
incredible saves from Adeleye when the Tigers were leading 12-10.
The second save, knocked the wind out of the Regals' sails
and momentum shifted towards the Tigers for the remaining period of
play.
Cal Lutheran scored their final goal with 6:46 to play although
they hit the cross bar quite a few times in the final minutes of
action. Bailey-Findley got things started for Occidental today and
finished things, too, scoring the final goal of the contest at the
4:24 mark.
Monday came up with eight goals on just 10 shots adding a pair
of asssits. Karle Nickle who was held to just two
goals, dished out a team-high five assists and Bailey-Findley was
the only other player with more than one goal as she netted three.
Occidental as a team converted five of their six 6-on-5
situations asboth Monday and Bailey-Findley drew two ejections.
Defensively the Tigers got seven total field blocks with
Nanea Fujiyama leading the charge with three.
Nickle came away with two while Corinne Casey had
a huge one in the fourth quarter and Bailey-Findley added one to
her line today as well. Bailey-Findley led the team with six steals
while Fujiyama and Casey had three apiece. Adeleye, Nickle and
Danielle Garcia each finished with two steals. In
front of the cage Adeleye recorded nine saves.
Things will not get any easier for the Tigers this weekend as
Occidental (10-13, 4-0 SCIAC) hosts the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens
(10-13, 2-1) at Taylor Pool. The ball drops at 11:00 a.m.
Article by: Tracy Maple, Sports Information
Director
