LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental College (4-5) edged out Whitworth University (3-5) with a 12–11 victory on Wednesday night at Patterson Field. The Tigers' player-up strategy was effective, contributing three goals to their narrow win.
The first quarter began with both teams showing strong defensive efforts, but it was Occidental who struck first as
Tirzah Rivera scored at 11:14.
Olivia Okamoto soon added another goal for the Tigers at 7:20, extending their early lead. Whitworth responded quickly with Rose Frezza scoring at 7:12, assisted by Megan Whitman, and Campbell Vincent equalizing at 6:52.
Aubrey Chang reclaimed the lead for Occidental with a player-up goal at 6:07.
Ava Whelan then capitalized on another player-up opportunity, scoring at 4:14 with an assist from Chang. The Pirates closed the quarter with a goal by Jordyn Bennett at 0:16, assisted by Whitman, bringing the score to 4–3 in favor of the Tigers at the end of the first quarter.
Olivia Okamoto opened the scoring for Occidental in the second quarter with a goal assisted by
Tirzah Rivera at 13:54, leveling the score at 3–3. Campbell Vincent responded for Whitworth with an unassisted goal at 6:55, briefly tying the game again before Rivera and
Aubrey Chang scored consecutive goals for the Tigers, extending their lead to 7–5. The quarter concluded with Vincent scoring again for the Pirates at 00:34, narrowing Occidental's lead to 7–6 as the second quarter ended.
The third quarter saw a flurry of activity as Occidental maintained their edge over Whitworth. Early in the quarter,
Charlotte Franklin capitalized on an assist from
Khamille Hart-Smith at the 9:00 mark, prompting a Whitworth timeout. The Pirates responded swiftly with goals from Megan Whitman and Campbell Vincent, both assisted by Sierra Witte, leveling the score at 8–8. However, the Tigers regained the lead with
Olivia Okamoto's player-up goal, assisted by
Tirzah Rivera at 5:05.
Charlotte Franklin then extended the Tigers' lead to 10–8 with another goal, this time assisted by
Ava Whelan at 1:49, as the quarter concluded.
Occidental and Whitworth engaged in a tight fourth quarter, beginning with Sierra Witte scoring for the Pirates at 11:13.
Aubrey Chang responded for the Tigers with a goal at 9:49, keeping the home team in the lead.
Olivia Okamoto further extended Occidental's advantage with a goal at 4:26, assisted by Rivera. Whitworth's Campbell Vincent and Sierra Witte struck back with consecutive goals at 2:42 and 2:26, respectively, narrowing the gap. Despite the Pirates' efforts, the Tigers maintained their lead to conclude the match 12–11.
Occidental Top Performers
Aubrey Chang
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- 3 goals
- 1 assist
- 5 shots on goal
Olivia Okamoto
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- 4 goals
- 1 game-winning goal
- 6 shots on goal
Tirzah Rivera
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- 2 goals
- 3 assists
- 7 shots on goal
Charlotte Franklin
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- 2 goals
- 2 shots on goal
The Tigers have a record of 4-5. The Pirates have a record of 3-5.
Looking ahead, Occidental is set to host Linfield on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. The game will be held in Los Angeles, California.
