Sports
Sagehens Claim Title in
SCIAC Championship Game
PP scores three unanswered goals to repeat
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The final day of the 2008 SCIAC
Championships as all three games were decided by one goal. No. 2
Pomona-Pitzer scored three unanswered goals to close out the game
in earning an 8-7 victory over No. 1 Cal Lutheran and back-to-back
SCIAC titles.
Both teams traded two goals each in the opening quarter as Tamara
Perea netted both Sagehens scores while CLU's Meredith Butte and
Joy Cyprian scored their first of two goals apiece.
Pomona-Pitzer took its lone two-goal advantage of the game to open
the second quarter after Nicole Ruesch scored with 2:29 left until
halftime. The Regals managed to tie the game for the third time
after Jill Jensen's power play goal and Whitney Haroldson's buzzer
beater to knot the game up at 4-4.
Jensen added her second goal with 2:42 left in the third to give
CLU its first lead of the game. However it would be short-lived as
PP's Janelle Gyorffy responded just two minutes later creating the
fourth tie of the game.
Butte closed out the quarter with her second goal of the game and
the team's third six-on-five score. Cyprian gave the Regals its
lone two-point margin scoring with 6:15 left in regulation.
The Sagehens comeback began on the ensuing possession as Laura
Condon scored her second goal with 5:52 left, cutting the deficit
to 7-6. Following a CLU turnover the PP counterattack created a
quick exclusion and score for Karen Bonner to net the equalizer
just 14 seconds later.
Both teams traded multiple possessions with the Regals earning two
and the Sagehens one power play opportunity that neither team
converted.
The scoring was capped after Apkarian directed a shot that
deflected off and behind CLU goalkeeper Katie Windsor with just 71
seconds remaining.
The third place contest featured No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and
No. 4 Occidental. Neither team led by more than a single goal in 38
minutes of action.
CMS' Kristin Orkney scored a game-high three goals including the
first two scores for the Athenas. Danielle Montenegro and Ashley
Notti each scored twice to lead the Tigers.
OXY trailed 3-2 after the opening period but managed to take a 5-4
lead into halftime. CMS' Kristyn Ross tied it up with the lone goal
of the third quarter at 3:46.
Montenegro's second goal gave the Tigers its final lead of the game
with six minutes left in regulation. Athenas sophomore Sarah Assaad
netted the equalizer with 2:51 remaining as the team's headed to
overtime.
CMS' Abigayle Lin, who scored the equalizer in the final seconds to
send Friday's game into extra time, scored the game-winner with 15
seconds left on Sunday to give the Athenas an 8-7 victory.
No. 6 Whittier scored seven of the first eight goals in Sunday's
opener against No. 5 Redlands. The Poets received a pair of first
half goals from Veronica Becerra and Caroline Galvin to push the
lead to 7-2 at halftime.
Both teams would trade a pair of third quarter goals and Whittier's
Catherine Gouge scored her second of the game with 24 seconds left
in the third period. However the score would be the final Poets
goal of the game.
UR's Alana Martinez scored on the opening possession to cut the
Bulldogs deficit to 9-5 with 7:30 left. After the tournament's
leading scorer Sam Greenawalt netted her 10th and
11th goals of the championship Redlands trailed by just
one with 1:48 left in regulation.
WC goalkeeper Ashley Papenbrock blocked her 10th shot of
the game in a final second attempt as the Poets hung on for a 9-8
victory.
Final SCIAC standings are as follows:
Pomona-Pitzer - 14 (5+9)
Cal Lutheran - 13 (6+7)
Claremont-M-S - 10 (4+6)
Occidental - 8 (3+5)
Redlands - 6 (2+4)*
Whittier - 4 (1+3)*
La Verne - 2 (0+2)*
Tournament points are awarded as follows:
1st - 9, 2nd - 7, 3rd - 6, 4th - 5, 5th - 4, 6th - 3, 7th - 2
* - UR, WC & ULV went 1-1 in tournament round robin play. Goal differential was used as tournament standings tie breaker: UR (+7), WC (0), ULV (-7).
Please visit http://www.clusports.com/pages/tournaments/2008WWPSCIACTournament.php
for complete tournament details and results.