Box Score LOS ANGELES — It was just the first of many games underneath the lights at Jack Kemp Stadium this year for the Occidental men's soccer team, but it didn't feel like it.
A crowd of 353 — filled mostly with students — packed the stands and the Tigers had their chances in a 2-1 loss to Arizona Christian on Saturday that felt more like a championship between bitter rivals than a non-conference match at the beginning of the season.
After Carlos Villa gave the Firestorm (4-1) a 1-0 lead with a goal early in the second half, Drake Berglund buried a shot from 25 yards out to even the score 2 mintues later.
It looked like Oxy had the momentum.
On a header by John Richardson toward the back post, off a cross from Marcus Brandford, Carlos Mendoza was whistled for a handball inside the box. The referee issued a penalty kick and a yellow card.
Mendoza was upgraded to a red card after he argued the call.
Richardson drilled his penalty kick off the cross bar, but the ball bounced back to him. He calmly collected it with his chest, brought it down to his left foot, but missed again, this time off the left post.
It was a heartbreaking and exciting play, but because Richardson's initial shot didn't touch the goalie he was called for offsides on his second touch.
In the 76th minute, Hanzel Rodriguez scored the winner for the Firestorm.
The game was heated throughout. Arizona Christian received seven yellow cards and a red.
Richardson wasn't the only Tiger to give Arizona Christian problems of offense. Connor Freeman fired two shots, Bergland had two and Brandford, Thayer Fisher and Zoe Johnson each had one.
Oxy opens the SCIAC season at Redlands on Wednesday and then returns home to Jack Kemp Stadium next Saturday at 7 p.m.
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