LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental College fell to Chapman University with a final score of 15–9 on Wednesday at Patterson Field. Despite the loss, the Tigers' defense managed to force 14 turnovers, showcasing a strong defensive effort.
Olivia Okamoto scored three goals, surpassing Alessandra Pelliccia for third all-time in goals scored in program history. Okamoto now sits at 183 total for her career with a game to go.
The first quarter opened with Chapman taking an early lead as Zoey Stephens scored the first goal at 13:45, assisted by Tade Scheid. Occidental quickly responded with
Ava Whelan netting a goal at 13:21, assisted by
Tirzah Rivera, leveling the score. The Panthers then surged ahead with goals from Anna Barton at 12:39 and two more from Stephens, who also contributed a goal at 9:43. The visitors capitalized on an extra-player situation with Tade Scheid scoring at 6:05. Ava Regan extended Chapman's lead with a free position goal at 2:50. Occidental's
Ellie Mahoney managed to narrow the gap with a free position goal at 2:05, concluding the quarter with Chapman leading 6–2.
Chapman capitalized on two player-up opportunities to pull ahead in the second quarter. Okamoto initiated the scoring for Occidental with a goal assisted by
Ellie Mahoney at 11:46. However, Chapman quickly responded with Ava Regan and Tade Scheid each finding the back of the net, assisted by Zoey Stephens, to take advantage of the Tigers' penalties. Despite a goal from
Tirzah Rivera, also assisted by Mahoney at 5:02, Chapman maintained control, with Tade Scheid's free position goal extending its lead. Ava Regan added another late goal, making it 10–4 in favor of Chapman by the end of the quarter.
Chapman initiated the third quarter with a goal by Ava Regan at 14:14, assisted by Zoey Stephens, extending its lead. Occidental responded with two goals of its own, first from
Olivia Okamoto at 7:23, assisted by
Tirzah Rivera, followed by a solo effort from Rivera at 6:18. Despite the Tigers' momentum, Chapman regained control with Tade Scheid scoring at 3:14, and Ada Carr adding another goal at 1:06, assisted by Hailey Buck. The quarter ended with Chapman leading 13–6.
Chapman capitalized early in the fourth quarter with a goal from Ada Carr on a free position shot at 13:54, followed shortly by a player-up goal from Bea Macdonald, assisted by Tade Scheid, pushing its lead to 15–6. Occidental responded with a player-up goal by
Olivia Okamoto at 7:49, assisted by
Khamille Hart-Smith, which sparked a rally.
Aubrey Chang added a free position goal at 6:42, and
Ellie Mahoney scored off a pass from
Kelly Peir at 5:55, narrowing the deficit to 15–9. Despite several turnovers, the Tigers' defense held strong, with
Grace Morrow making crucial saves, but time expired before Occidental could complete the comeback.
Occidental Top Performers
Olivia Okamoto
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- 3 goals
- 4 shots
- 4 draw controls
Ellie Mahoney
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- 2 goals
- 2 assists
- 2 shots
Tirzah Rivera
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- 2 goals
- 2 assists
- 2 shots
Charlotte Dreyfus
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- 5 saves
- 18 shots faced
The Tigers have a record of 5–9 and stand at 1–8 in conference play. Chapman holds a record of 9–5 and is 5–4 in its conference.
Looking ahead, Occidental will face Cal Lutheran on Saturday, April 25, at 11 a.m. The matchup will take place in Thousand Oaks, California, where the Tigers will compete as the away team.
