Box Score By Michael Wells
Sports Information Director
REDLANDS — The Occidental College men's soccer team headed into its first SCIAC match of the season at Redlands with a different feel than they normally would have, facing the defending champs and a team they haven't beaten since at least 1997.
The Tigers were riding a 1-0 win over Whitman College on Friday, a common opponent Redlands lost to 1-0 earlier this season, and Oxy's roster is more talented and deeper than it's been in recent memory.
But Redlands greeted Oxy with a pair of goals in the first half, added two more late and the Tigers left San Bernardino County with a 4-1 loss.
Ben Murray (Sandpoint, Idaho) found Reid Sakamoto (Honolulu) on a combination play around the top of the Bulldogs' box to bring Oxy within one in the 61st minute, during a 30-minute stretch after halftime where the Tigers were arguably the better team.
"The difference between us and Redlands right now is consistency. We played well for 30 minutes after halftime, but they played well for 90 minutes, Occidental coach Rod Lafaurie said. "And at the end of the day, what's on the scoreboard is still the result.
Evan Keny-Guyer and Arie Vanderstaay scored for Redlands (1-1, 1-0 SCIAC) in the first half. Gabe Ramirez and Peter Madsen opened up the deficit with a goal each with less than 15 minutes remaining.
Despite the result, the 2012 Tigers are still different.
"It would have been nice to pull off the big upset and really give our players and the entire Oxy soccer community something to get excited about," Lafaurie said. "But Redlands is a tough team and we still have work to do."
Jack Day (London, England), the hero who banged in the game-winning penalty for Oxy against Whitman, and Alessandro Carotenuto (Scottsdale, Ariz.) led the Tigers (1-1, 0-1 SCIAC) with four shots, two that were on the frame. Connor Freeman (Mercer Island, Wash.) fired off three shots.
Ian Agrimis (Portland, Ore.) made four saves for Oxy.
The Tigers return to action against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday at Jack Kemp Stadium at 7 p.m., the first of three games under the lights on the Patterson Field turf this season.
