PORTLAND, Ore. — Occidental (3-5) edged Lewis & Clark (4-1) with a 9–8 victory at Griswold Stadium on Saturday. This victory, secured by a crucial overtime goal, marked the Tigers' first win in the last four games.
Occidental and Lewis & Clark began their matchup with a competitive first quarter.
Ellie Einstein opened the scoring for the Tigers with a free position goal at 12:44. The Pioneers responded with a goal from Sage Swegle at 05:20, leveling the score. Moments later, Occidental's
Charlotte Franklin, assisted by
Tirzah Rivera, reclaimed the lead with her fifth goal of the season at 04:40. The back-and-forth continued as Swegle once again tied the game for Lewis & Clark with a goal at 03:27.
Olivia Okamoto then gave the Tigers a brief lead with a goal, assisted by
Ellie Mahoney, at 01:34. However, Aviana Gonzales scored in the final minute for the Pioneers, assisted by Mack Searle, ending the quarter in a 3–3 tie.
Lewis & Clark's Aviana Gonzales opened the scoring in the second quarter with a goal at 13:00, assisted by Ala Cross. Occidental responded with Okamoto finding the net at 6:37, assisted by Mahoney, leveling the score. However, Finley Allen reclaimed the lead for the Pioneers with a goal at 2:27, assisted by Searle. The quarter concluded with the Pioneers holding a narrow 5–4 advantage over the Tigers.
The Pioneers initially extended their lead in the third quarter with a goal by Allen at 13:10, marking her 10th of the season. However, Occidental responded decisively. Okamoto scored three consecutive goals, starting with a free position shot at 4:36. She followed with a player-up goal at 2:43 and completed her hat trick with an assisted goal from Rivera at 1:00, bringing her season total to 26. The Tigers' defensive efforts, including key caused turnovers by
Khamille Hart-Smith and Mahoney, helped maintain momentum, allowing them to finish the quarter leading 7–6.
Okamoto scored a player-up goal at 13:09 in the fourth quarter, bringing her season total to 27 and extending the Tigers' lead. However, Lewis & Clark responded swiftly, with Searle's player-up goal assisted by Cross at 11:27, narrowing the gap. Gonzales scored again for the Pioneers at 4:38, assisted by Kate Meinhard, tying the game at 8–8. Despite several attempts, including a shot by
Ava Whelan that was saved at 1:09, the Tigers were unable to reclaim the lead before the quarter ended.
Hart-Smith gained initial possession for the Tigers with a draw control in overtime. A foul by Searle and a subsequent green card on Rowan Levandoski provided a player-up opportunity for Occidental. Franklin capitalized on this advantage, scoring a goal assisted by Mahoney at the 4:26 mark, marking Franklin's sixth goal of the season. This decisive goal secured the 9–8 victory for the Tigers as overtime concluded.
Occidental Top Performers
Olivia Okamoto
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- 6 goals
- 6 shots on goal
- 2 player-up goals
Ellie Mahoney
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- 3 assists
Charlotte Franklin
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- 2 goals
- 1 game-winning goal
- 1 player-up goal
Occidental has a record of 3-5. Lewis & Clark has a record of 4-1.
In their next game, Occidental will face off against Whitworth on Wednesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at their home venue in Los Angeles, California.
