LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental edged Cal Lutheran 2-1 on Wednesday night at W.C. Patterson Field. Occidental's decisive goal came in the second half, securing the victory. The victory propelled the Tigers to a first place finish in the SCIAC, netting home-field advantage in the conference tournament.

The match commenced with Occidental asserting early pressure, highlighted by a shot from Kent Ortiz in the third minute. Carlos Abram anchored the defense with multiple saves, repelling attempts from Cal Lutheran's Kane Reese and Caleb Merrill to maintain a clean sheet. 

Occidental's persistence paid off in the 33rd minute when Ayden Rieke-Wey found the net with an assist from Matthew Shea, putting the home team ahead. Despite continued pressure from Cal Lutheran, including a near miss from Danny Rodriguez, Occidental closed the first half with a 1-0 lead.

The second half began with Occidental pressing forward, earning a corner kick just 52 seconds in. Devin Bening and Elijah Edelman each took shots in quick succession, with Edelman's attempt being saved by Cal Lutheran's goalkeeper, Isaak Tanaka. Despite Occidental's early offensive pressure, Cal Lutheran capitalized on a penalty kick by Kane Reese in the 53rd minute to open the scoring for the visitors.

Occidental responded effectively, with Eddie Siladie scoring in the 59th minute from an assist by Aiden Aley, regaining the lead. Throughout the remainder of the half, Occidental maintained defensive resilience, with goalkeeper Casey Scott making crucial saves, including a key stop against Jackson Smart. The game concluded with Occidental holding a 2-1 advantage, securing the victory.

Occidental Top Performers

Carlos Abram  
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- six saves  
- one goal against  

Matthew Shea  
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- one assist  
- one shot  

Aiden Aley  
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- one assist  
- one shot  

Eddie Siladie  
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- one goal  
- one shot on goal  
- one game-winning goal  

Ayden Rieke-Wey  
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- one goal  
- four shots  
- two shots on goal  

The Tigers will host the winner of the SCIAC Tournament First Round game between the fourth and fifth seeds.