LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental College (5-5) secured a decisive 14-7 victory over Linfield College (3-6) on Thursday at Patterson Field. Occidental's offense was led by its effective player-up situations, scoring two goals with the man advantage.
The first quarter opened with Occidental taking an early lead, as
Tirzah Rivera scored the first goal at 14:15.
Ava Whelan extended Occidental's advantage with a goal at 12:47, assisted by
Olivia Okamoto.
Kelly Peir added another goal for the Tigers, putting the home team up 3-0. Linfield responded with a goal from Madison DeLatrinidad, assisted by Savannah Irwin, reducing the deficit to 3-1. Whelan scored again at 5:04, followed by a free position goal from Linfield's Savannah Irwin, bringing the score to 4-2. Okamoto, assisted by Rivera, capped the quarter with a goal at 1:32, setting the score at 5-2 in favor of the home team at the end of the first quarter.
Occidental maintained its lead over Linfield with strong play in the second quarter.
Charlotte Franklin capitalized on a player-up situation, scoring at the 10:54 mark, assisted by Rivera. Linfield responded with a goal from DeLatrinidad at 9:39, assisted by Maizri Chandler, cutting the deficit to three.
Khamille Hart-Smith extended Occidental's advantage with a goal at 5:06. Despite Linfield's efforts, including a late save by
Charlotte Dreyfus on a shot by DeLatrinidad, Occidental ended the quarter ahead 7-3.
Occidental started the third quarter with a quick offensive push, as Whelan scored just 53 seconds in, assisted by Franklin.
Ellie Mahoney secured the subsequent draw control, but a turnover halted momentum. Despite several offensive attempts, including a shot by Mahoney that hit the post at 11:00, Occidental found the net again when Okamoto scored at 6:41, with an assist from Hart-Smith. Linfield managed to counter with a late goal at 1:07 by Apple Riso, assisted by Gabby Crist. The quarter ended with Occidental maintaining a 9-4 lead.
Occidental extended its lead in the fourth quarter with key contributions from multiple players.
Aubrey Chang initiated the scoring with a goal at 14:25, assisted by Rivera. Rivera later added another goal at 12:33, and Okamoto capitalized on a player-up opportunity with 3:44 remaining, again assisted by Rivera. Linfield responded with a three-goal run, including a goal by Crist at 10:15 and assists on subsequent goals. However,
Callie Lovekin and Okamoto sealed the victory for Occidental with late goals, finalizing the score at 14-7.
Occidental Top Performers
Olivia Okamoto
----------------------
- 4 goals
- 8 shots on goal
- 11 total shots
Ava Whelan
----------------------
- 3 goals
- 1 game-winning goal
- 4 shots on goal
Tirzah Rivera
----------------------
- 2 goals
- 5 assists
- 6 total shots
Occidental has a record of 5-5. Linfield has a record of 3-6.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will host Pomona-Pitzer at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 4, in Los Angeles, California.
