Dramatic finish to Tigers’ season

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2009) – Donning the black and orange for the last time, senior Gil Ortega and English exchange student Rob Tuttlebee played their final game for the Occidental College Tigers. The match, played against the Whittier College Poets, lasted 120 minutes after double overtime, ending in a 0-0 tie.

Both teams fought hard for the win throughout the game, with the Tigers having 20 shots and the Poets shooting the ball 28 times. Ian Powell, Oxy’s starting keeper, left the game during the second half after accumulating nine saves. His replacement, Andrew Larkin, continued the shut out with seven saves of his own.

Although both keepers had stellar performances, the Tigers’ defense kept Occidental in the game. First year players Reid Sakamoto and Kyle Scoble prevented the Poets from scoring and the Tigers hopes alive despite playing a man down after an ejection just 36 minutes into the first half.

The Whittier defense stopped the Tigers’ attack, yet Oxy still had several opportunities to score for the win. First year forward Quinn Foley had three shots on goal, all of which nearly went in, yet the Whittier keeper was there to make the saves.

The intense game saw fouls on both sides with Oxy committing 20 and Whittier committing 11. There were a number of yellow cards issued in the physical battle on the field.

The Occidental Tigers wrapped up the season with a record of 4-12-1 and 3-10-1 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The tie marked the end of a five game losing streak and let the Tigers finish the season on a high note.

Article: Marco Castanos, Student Reporter