Claremont, Calif. – Defender Claire Mueller (Lincoln, Neb.) scored with 25 seconds left in the first overtime as the Pomona-Pitzer Women's Soccer team captured a huge 1-0 win over Occidental on Saturday morning in a SCIAC match.

(goal celebration pictured)

With the win, the Sagehens improve to 9-4-1 overall and 6-3-1 in the SCIAC, putting them on the cusp of a SCIAC Tournament berth (they could clinch with just one tie in their last two games, or various other scenarios). Occidental falls to 5-8 overall and 5-5 in the SCIAC.

The game-winning goal was set up as Mueller played the ball forward to senior forward Traci Lopez (Santa Fe, N.M.). Lopez was bottled up and went wide to freshman midfielder Dana Christensen (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), who beat a defender along the left sideline and sent a cross into the middle. Meuller kept running on the play and sped past the Occidental defense, chipping a shot into the net for her second goal of the season (and career).

"I just played the ball forward to Traci and kept going," said Mueller. "Coach told us at the half that we had to take it upon ourselves if we saw an opening and do the unexpected if we wanted to win. I knew that there was less than a minute left, and it was a good time to take a chance and put some pressure on them." 

The Sagehens nearly won earlier in the overtime, as sophomore midfielder Allie Tao (Alamo, Calif.) got free at the top of the box and sent a low shot towards goal, but Occidental goalkeeper Taylor Renshaw tipped the ball wide of the right post for a corner kick. The Tigers' best chance to score came in the final minute of the first half, as Liz Martin got behind the Pomona-Pitzer defense and just missed wide of the left post.

Pomona-Pitzer finished with an 18-8 edge in shots, including 4-0 in the overtime. Renshaw had eight saves for the Tigers in the losing cause, while Emma Wolfarth (Arlington, Va.) had one save for the shutout.

The Sagehens will next be in action when they travel on Wednesday to face first-place Cal Lutheran, which is undefeated in the SCIAC, before closing out the regular season with a home game against Whittier next Saturday at 11 a.m.