LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental lost to Stanton 1-0 on Wednesday at W.C. Patterson Field at Jack Kemp Stadium on a heartbreaking goal with four seconds remaining in regulation.
The Tigers generated 24 shots, including 11 on goal, while limiting Stanton to six shots and three on goal. The only goal came in the second half, and Stanton finished with 11 saves as the Tigers were kept off the scoreboard despite 15 second-half shots.
The Tigers drove the first-half shot count, recording nine attempts and two corners while Stanton managed one off-target shot, but the half stayed scoreless. The Tigers opened with pressure from the sixth through 14th minutes, as
Mia Merkelbach missed left,
Bella Calemine put three shots on frame that were saved, and
Diana Reyes-Sanchez sent an attempt high and right.
Zakrie Smith added a shot wide left after the Tigers' first corner in the 18th minute, keeping the home side in the attacking half.
The Tigers pushed again late, with Smith shooting in the 39th minute before
Samantha An and
Maile Fukushima each forced saves around another corner, and the teams went to halftime tied 0-0.
The Tigers generated repeated second-half chances but could not break through, and Stanton scored at 89:56 to hand the Tigers a 1-0 final.
Melanie Rodriguez saved Sherasade Meghezi's shot 26 seconds into the half, and the Tigers answered with five shots and two corners between 46:42 and 56:18, including saved efforts from
Olivia Urquhart,
Sophia Weigt and
Zakrie Smith.
After Rodriguez stopped Ellen Henrysson in the 63rd minute, the Tigers created another wave as Reyes-Sanchez and Urquhart put shots on target and Merkelbach sent an attempt high. The Tigers kept pressing late with attempts from An,
Tess Adlam, Merkelbach, Weigt and Calemine, then earned an 88:23 corner before An's shot went high at 88:51.
Stanton broke the scoreless match moments later when Laura Geo Alcocer scored off an assist from Kristi Maria Boneva Koseva, ending the half and the match at 1-0.
Tigers Top Performers
Bella Calemine
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- four shots
- three shots on goal
Samantha An
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- four shots
- one shot on goal
Zakrie Smith
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- four shots
- one shot on goal
Olivia Urquhart
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- two shots on goal
The Tigers are 0-1-0 overall. Stanton is 2-1-1 overall.
