Box Score CLAREMONT, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Men's Soccer team earned a berth into the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament as they defeated Chapman 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Pomona-Pitzer Soccer Field.
The Sagehens entered the day with a possibility of entering the postseason. After an Occidental loss to Redlands in overtime earlier in the day, the Sagehens controlled their own destiny with their game against the Panthers.
Facing a "win and in" scenario, the Sagehens came out and played outstanding defense against the Panthers as they posted their sixth shutout of the year as a team and goalkeeper Ben Mitchel earned his fifth shutout of the season with two saves.
The Sagehens were led on offense by Ethan Flor who scored the only goal of the game while Jacob Merkle chipped in with the assist.
The Sagehen defense stepped up in a big game as they only allowed Chapman to take four shots for the game with just two of them on target.
With a spot in the postseason on the line, the Sagehens knew they had to get ahead early against the Panthers and were able to do just that as they struck in the 11th minute of the match when Merkle played in a cross off of a free kick that perfectly found the head of Flor and went into the back of the net to give the Sagehens a 1-0 lead.
After taking the early lead, the Sagehens let their defense do the work as they continued to turn away potential Chapman chances on offense.
The Panthers had a crucial free kick with just seconds left on the clock in the second half but Mitchell was able to get a hand on the shot and lifted it over the goal as the Sagehens celebrated their playoff clinching win on Senior Day.
Up Next: The Sagehens will enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed and will play No. 1 seeded Redlands at a time to be determined.
