Los Angeles, CA – Occidental College's lacrosse team competed in their home opener on February 21st against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens. While the Tigers lost the game 17-4, they improved throughout it and really found their groove in the second half.
The Sagehens led the first half 12-1, but the Tigers roared back holding Pomona-Pitzer to only five goals in the second half. Occidental's best quarter was the fourth where they tied the Sagehens 2-2.
Trading off goals, sophomore attacker, Olivia Okamoto, and sophomore midfielder, Maeve Moylan, led the team on the attacking end. Scoring the Tigers' first goal of the season, Okamoto had a strong finish off a free position shot. Next, Moylan and another sophomore midfielder, Ava Whelan, connected to score the team's second goal. Okamoto's second goal was also a free position shot and Moylan's second was a beautiful goal where she cut into the middle and received a feed from junior attacker, Gabriella Acker.
Okamoto (2) and Moylan (3) also led the team in draw controls. The Tigers won nine out of 22 draws, challenging the nationally ranked No. 12 Sagehens. Sophomore defender, Sydney Acol, led the team in ground ball pick-ups (3) and caused turnovers (4). The sophomores were truly on fire at Jack Kemp stadium. Importantly, the Tigers beat the Sagehens in total number of caused turnovers and ground balls. Occidental's fierceness was unmatched. When asked to comment on the game, junior midfielder, Dylan Herbert, shared, "They fought hard the entire game, never let up intensity, and by the second half, we slowed their scoring down by over 50%."
The Tigers are thrilled to have their hardest game behind them and are looking ahead to a great season. In the words of sophomore midfielder, Elise Mahoney, "What hatched tonight was an opportunity for growth. Sagehens dropped 17 eggs on us tonight. Good thing Tigers like eggs. We're ready to cook this season."
Occidental's lacrosse team would like to thank their fans for cheering them on throughout the game and congratulate their new head coach on her first game. It is truly a joy to have alumni legend Sierra Slack back home where she belongs. The team hopes to make her and their assistant coach, Francis Crowler (Boz), proud this season. Check out a feature about the team's new leadership in The Occidental. To quote Northwestern women's lacrosse "Adversity hits. Now what?"
