CLAREMONT — Overtime nail biters with plenty of drama are becoming the norm for Occidental head women's soccer coach Colm McFeely and company. A Saturday evening trip to take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Pritzlaff Field was no exception.

The Tigers (3-5-1, 2-4 SCIAC) played their fifth overtime game in nine contests so far this season and have yet to lose by more than one goal.

Both teams had opportunities in the first half, as CMS out-shot Oxy eight-to-six and earned three corner kick attempts to one with neither side being able to put the ball in the back of the net. From the outset, it was clear that both squads were evenly matched and that the night might not end so early for those involved.

After nearly an hour of scoreless play, CMS freshman midfielder Makella Brems scored the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute on an assist from senior forward Kelly Moller.

The Athenas had been close on several plays leading up to the goal — including a shot by junior forward Isabel Lester in the 52nd minute and another dangerous opportunity called back by an offside call in the 53rd — and it seemed as if it was just a matter of time until they struck.

But despite carrying the one-goal deficit into the game's final minute, McFeely's squad never considered itself out of striking range.

With one tick remaining on the clock before the 90th minute began, Oxy's freshman midfielder Kylie Takafuji nearly foiled Brems' plans with some heroics of her own, knotting the contest at one apiece and sending it into overtime. The goal marked Takafuji's third of the season.

"I was delighted that it was Takafuji that scored the equalizing goal, not just from the standpoint that it took us to overtime, but mostly because she had been a tar of strength throughout the whole game," McFeely said after the game. "Her work ethic was unbelievable and [the goal] was a just reward for her performance."

Although the Tigers had several near-misses in the bonus period, Brems ultimately ended Occidental's evening with the golden goal in the 92nd minute, her second of the night and third on the year.

"The overtime loss was a huge disappointment to the team," McFeely said. "It was a shame that we didn't get to take [the game] further into overtime, especially with all the close chances we had at the outset." 

Occidental travels to Whittier on Saturday before returning home on Wednesday to host Pomona-Pitzer at Patterson Field at 7 p.m.