OCCIDENTAL 3, POMONA-PITZER 1

LOS ANGELES — The Occidental men's soccer team just keeps winning.

Connor Freeman scored his third goal in two games and Zack Conrad buried the game-winner as Oxy overcame an early 1-0 deficit to beat the first-place Sagehens at Jack Kemp Stadium on Wednesday.

Freeman's goal was set up nicely by Tod Kawada in the 24th minute, evening the score, while sending a surge of much-needed energy through the Tigers side. In Monday night's 3-1 win over Whittier, Freeman scored a pair of goals in his first home game back from an injury.

In the 35th minute, Michael Tonetti played a ball into the box, Keegan McChesney defelected it with his head and Conrad finally finished it off, putting Oxy up 2-1.

Valdair Lopes iced the game with less than 8 minutes to play with maybe Oxy's prettiest goal of the season. He received a pass from Conrad at 25 yards out, touched the ball around the defender to his left and drilled the picture-perfect left-footed shot into the top-right corner of the net. 

On a Roll: The Tigers (11-4, 8-4) have won their last 5 in a row and 7 of their last 8 games as they inch closer to securing a spot for the four-team SCIAC Playoffs for the first time in the tournament's brief history. It is the program's best season in head coach Rod Lafaurie's tenure.  

Penalty Kicks: Just 1:41 seconds into the game, the referee awarded a penalty for Pomona-Pitzer after a soft foul at the edge of the box. It may have been a foul, but it was probably not a scoring situation or the type of play where a penalty kick seems like justice.

Either way you rationalize it, Felipe Galvis stepped up and knocked it down, giving the Sagehens an early 1-0 lead.

Freeman helped Oxy earn a penalty kick of its own with 6 minutes left in the first half and an opportunity to go up by two goals, but Nigel Brady made a diving save on Alessandro Carotenuto's shot to the left.

Key Save: Oxy goalkeeper Theo Atkinson made a clutch save in the 50th minute, swatting away a point-blank shot from the 6-yard box.

Stat of the Game: Oxy continues its incredibly potent offense and exciting brand of soccer. In 15 games this season the Tigers have scored 33 goals.

Next Game: The Tigers have their alumni game on Saturday at 6 p.m. and then return to SCIAC play against Cal Lutheran on Monday at Jack Kemp Stadium.