In a tense overtime battle, women’s soccer tied CMS 1-1 last Saturday. After this result, Pomona-Pitzer and CMS remain tied for second place in SCIAC with a record of 5-3-1 each. With only three more conference games left to play, both teams are fighting to be in the top four spots in order to clinch a playoff berth.
Both teams came out strong for a game that not only featured a long-standing rivalry, but also held real meaning in the conference standings.
P-P had control for much of the first half, keeping possession and passing the ball through midfielders Charlotte Fisken PO ’14 and Rachel Eckerlin PZ ’12. Late in the first half, after the ball rebounded off the goalkeeper and a defender, Traci Lopez PZ ’12 buried it in the back of the net to secure a 1-0 lead for the Sagehens at the half. The goal was the 11th of the season for Lopez, who leads the Sagehens in scoring and is ranked second in SCIAC.
After a direct kick by Allie Tao PO ’14 narrowly missed the goal, CMS got a breakaway up the field ten minutes into the second half. Madi Shove SC ’13 scored on the play with an assist from Lizzie VanBuskirk CM ’12.
Control of the ball went back and forth between P-P and CMS, giving the game a steady flow with neither team able to dominate the other more than momentarily.
”All in all, I think the 1-1 tie was a fair result… both sides played well and it was an evenly matched game,” P-P head coach Jennifer Scanlon said.
The statistics also confirm the even nature of the game, with nine shots from P-P and ten from CMS. Keeper Emma Wolfarth PO ’14 had two saves while Molly Freed SC ’15 had four.
The 20-minute overtime was an all-out battle for the win, though neither team was able to put in a goal. Defender Jordan Bryant PO ’13 made numerous plays that shut down the CMS offense to keep the Sagehens in the game.
The last time these two teams met, CMS bested the Hens 3-1, scoring two goals in the first 15 minutes of the game. Pomona-Pitzer came out this time with more confidence, thanks to two solid wins earlier in the week. Unfortunately for the Sagehens, if the standings remain as they are, the Athenas will take second place while P-P would take third due to the earlier loss to CMS. While the Sagehens certainly brought their determination to the field this weekend, they’ll be looking to win their last three games of the season to try to receive home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
“We still control our own destiny,” Scanlon said. The results in the last games of the season will determine the top four slots in the conference—slots that promise hope of an NCAA tournament bid.
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