Tigers start off season with a Roar
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Sept. 4, 2009) – The Occidental College women’s soccer team kicked off the 2009 season with a thorough victory over the Benedictine (Ill.) University Eagles. The freshmen additions up top led the Tigers to 6-0 win Friday evening on the Lower Soccer Field.
Freshman Leina’ala Song and junior Jesi Sasaki led the offense, combining for three goals and countless shots during the first half. For the first goal of her collegiate career, Song lunged forward on a cross from Sasaki and nudged the ball before the Eagles’ keeper and several defenders could reach it. She followed up with a powerful shot on a goal that deflected off the keeper straight to Sasaki who merely had to tap the ball into the back of the net for the 2-0 start.
The overpowering Tigers, with their quick attacks and easy manipulation of the ball across the entire field, limited the Eagles throughout the game, allowing the first shot in the 30th minute. However, the Eagle defense, despite its numerous attempts, could not maintain its attack, and soon succumbed to a third goal by Sasaki from Song’s second assist of the day.
In the second half another pair of freshmen stepped into the action with Rebecca Verstraete and Whitney Roline replacing the Song/Sasaki duo and continued to pummel the Eagle defense. Combining for several more shots on the exhausted Benedictine goalie, they forced the defense to commit several crippling mistakes, allowing three more Oxy goals.
Senior Moe Kishida connected on a cross for the fourth goal while sophomore Maddy Rasch received a pass from Roline to put the ball in the back of the net for the sixth time. The final goal came on a break away by Rasch, who juked out several Eagle defenders and punished the keeper with an elegant touch to the lower corner of the goal.
When asked about the team’s performance and outlook for the rest of the season, Song exclaimed “I’m proud of the really good team effort and I’m glad the team got off to a good start. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and it’s nice to see all our hard work come together.”
Occidental will be back on the field Tuesday, Sept. 8 when they
host the Chapman University Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on the Lower
Soccer Field.
Article: Marco Castanos, Student Reporter
