THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In a weekday conference matchup, the California Lutheran University Kingsmen defeated the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens 3-1 thanks to a barrage of offense in the second half.
After a rough start for both teams offensively, the Sagehens broke the gridlock with the first goal of the game in the 43rd minute. Sagehen forward, Bjorn Sigurdsson, was able to dribble through the Kingsmen defense into the middle of the field and deliver a low strike into the bottom right corner of the net to put Pomona-Pitzer up 1-0.
At the end of the first half, the Sagehens outshot the Kingsmen 10 to eight with seven shots on goal compared to zero shots on goal for the Kingsmen.
The second half was all Kingsmen, however, thanks to physical play on both defense and offense.
In the 57th minute of play, forward Jared Pischke got things started for the Kingsmen as he recorded his second goal of the season to put Cal Lutheran on the board, tied at 1-1. The drive started after forward Aaron Winsick's shot on goal was deflected by the Sagehen keeper to the right and Pischke was able to collect the ball and deliver a strike into the back left corner of the goal.
Cal Lutheran continued the pressure offensively as four minutes later an errant Sagehen pass deflected off the referee and was obtained by the Kingsmen which led to a foul in the box for a penalty kick. Taking the penalty for the Kingsmen was midfielder Igor Lumbrano who buried the ball in the top left corner of the goal giving the Kingsmen a 2-1 lead.
The Kingsmen offense wasn't finished yet as two minutes later forward Alex Cortez connected for his first goal of the season to increase their lead to 3-1. Winsick crossed the ball to Cortez who headed it off the top of the cross bar which deflected back to him. He was then able to poke it through the defense and into the back of the net.
The Sagehens, looking for a late rally, added on the pressure on offense as they were rewarded an indirect free kick from inside the box. Taking the penalty for the Sagehens was
Sigurdsson who struck a hard ball that was blocked by Kingsmen goalkeeper, Antonio Welch on an unbelievable save. Welch finished the game with nine saves and played a key role in the victory as the Kingsmen went on to win with a final score of 3-1.
"My goalkeeper was fantastic today," said goalkeeper coach, Miguel Silva, "He dominated in the air which was exactly what I asked him to do. He has improved a lot as the season has gone by and gained more confidence which was key for us today."
The Kingsmen, looking to keep the offense alive, are back in action Saturday night as they host UC Santa Cruz at 7 P.M. PST inside of William Rolland Stadium.
Post-Game Interview: #27 Alex Cortez and #0 Antonio Welch
Box Score: CLU 3, PP 1
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Release by Scott Roberts, Sports Information Student Assistant
