Box Score By Michael Wells
Sports Information Director
ORANGE, Calif. – It was no doubt a rough start to the season on the road for the Occidental College men's soccer team. But the final score looks a little more one-sided than the game may have been.
The Tigers lost to Chapman University 5-0 in non-conference action on Wednesday in a match where one team simply converted their opportunities and the other struggled.
"Their shots went in, our shots didn't," Occidental head coach Rod Lafaurie said. "We have to score our chances and we have to get organized a little bit better overall as well."
At first glance the score catches your eye as a blow out, but a little more careful analysis shows it could have been much closer. The Tigers (0-1) snapped off 14 shots to the Panthers 15, but the more experienced Chapman (3-0) squad had 10 on the frame and converted shots to goals at a 33 percent clip.
"We didn't get dominated oddly enough, which the score doesn't indicate. It is a big learning experience for us," Lafaurie said. "We lost to a good veteran team and we just have to get better."
Occidental wasn't any luckier on set pieces. The Tigers led the game with three corner kicks, but weren't successful there either.
Oxy gave up four goals in the first half, a pair to Panthers forward Mauricio Alfonso (fourth minute and 28th) and one to Brent Hellesen (19th minute) and Nick Echeverry (42nd). Colin Helm had the only second half goal in the 61st minute.
Tyler Eng led the Tigers with five shots, one on goal, and Will Moseley had three. Ian Agrimis had four saves after taking over goalkeeping duties in the second half.
Occidental continues their four-game road trip on Saturday at La Sierra, then starts SCIAC conference play on Wednesday at Cal Tech.
