Tigers Advance to Final Game, Eye Playoff Berth
CLAREMONT, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2007) – A defensive game from the get-go remained just that with the exception of a 75th minute goal to give the Occidental College Tigers a 1-0 victory in their first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Post Season Tournament appearance.
In the 75th minute freshman Jesi Sasaki overcame pressure from a Redlands defender in the corner of the field and launched the ball ten yards out in front of the goal to freshman midfielder Ali Caditz who tapped the ball into the right corner of the goal to break the scoreless tie.
Evenly matched teams exchanged seven shots and 12 fouls. Occidental took three corner kicks while Redlands had just one.
Mid way through the second half freshman Tiger Season Falkler-Rodriquez saved the scoreless game. She cleared the ball away from the goal after the Bulldogs took a shot that hit the post, shooting straight down and bouncing up as if to be headed into the net.
Following the Oxy score, Tigers defenders played tough for the final 15 minutes of regulation. Senior goalie Melissa Warner blocked five shots and Redlands’ goalie Tenley Rawlings finished with three saves including a diving stop in the 82nd minute.
Occidental improves to 11-5, 10-3 in SCIAC play and the Bulldogs season ends with an overall record of 9-6-3, 7-5-1 SCIAC.
The Tigers and Bulldogs met on Pritzlaff Field on the campus of host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the second game of the day.
In the first game of the night the Cal Lutheran Regals (8-10-3; 7-4-2 SCIAC) upset the SCIAC Champion Athenas (13-6; 10-3 SCIAC) 2-0 on CMS turf.
Saturday, Nov. 3 the Regals will travel back to Los Angeles for the final SCIAC game of the 2007 season. In both previous meeting this season, on Sept. 29 and Oct. 29, the Tigers blanked the Regals 2-0.
The Championship game will be held at the Lower Soccer Field on the campus of Occidental College, as the highest seeded team remaining. Kickoff with the Reglas is slated for 12:00 p.m.
