LOS ANGELES — Occidental (4-10-1, 4-5-1) lost to Cal Lutheran (12-1-3, 8-0-2) 2-0 on Wednesday at W.C. Patterson Field at Jack Kemp Stadium. Occidental held Cal Lutheran scoreless through the first half despite facing 11 shots and five corner kicks. The Tigers finished with six shots and two on goal, while their goalkeeper made nine saves as Cal Lutheran put 11 of its 25 shots on frame.
Occidental absorbed a sustained first-half push from Cal Lutheran and kept the match scoreless, with
Melanie Rodriguez making five saves as the visitors generated 11 shots and five corner kicks.
The early pressure included six Cal Lutheran shots and four corners from 3:53 to 15:29, but Occidental came through that stretch with the score still 0-0.
Bella Calemine recorded Occidental's first shot in the 11th minute, and the Tigers later earned a corner kick in the 40th.
Maile Fukushima put a shot on frame in the 44th minute, but Kira Kasarda saved it, and the half finished scoreless.
Occidental's second half was shaped by Cal Lutheran's early breakthrough and sustained pressure, as Jessica Sprouse scored at 46:39 off an assist from Sawyer Frye to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
The Tigers absorbed another Cal Lutheran stretch from 52:35 to 58:43 without conceding, but Stephenie Hackett added a goal at 59:24, again assisted by Frye, to make it 2-0. Rodriguez kept Occidental within reach with saves on shots in the 65th, 68th, 77th and 78th minutes as Cal Lutheran continued to earn corners and generate chances. Occidental pushed back late with shots from
Samantha An,
Maile Fukushima and
Zakrie Smith, then earned a corner in the 90th minute before
Mia Steadman's final shot, but the half ended with Cal Lutheran holding the 2-0 final score.
Occidental Top Performers
Melanie Rodriguez
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- nine saves
- 90:00 in goal
Maile Fukushima
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- two shots
- one shot on goal
Occidental is 4-10-1 overall and 4-5-1 in conference play. Cal Lutheran is 12-1-3 overall and 8-0-2 in conference play.
Up next, Occidental travels to Redlands to take on the University of Redlands Bulldogs on Satruday, October 24th at 11:00am.
