La Verne freshman midfielder Noah Dacko drives toward the goal and away from Caltech sophomore midfielder Federico Presutti in the second half of the game. The Leopards kept the lead and ultimately skinned the Beavers, 2-0, Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium. / photo by Noel Cabrera
Kat Simonelli
Sports Editor
The men’s soccer team dominated in the second half of its game against the Whittier Poets, scoring three goals in the span of six minutes, to win 4-1 Wednesday at Ortmayer Stadium.
“It was our night and the team is really coming together right now,” head coach Trevor Persson said. “They’re definitely feeling it, definitely gelling and definitely have each other’s backs 100 percent.”
With the score tied, 1-1, La Verne junior forward Nathan Gonzalez scored in the 59th minute, off a corner kick by freshman midfielder Alfredo Garcia to take a 2-1 lead.
The Leopards scored again four minutes later, as junior midfielder Harim Coronado chipped a ball in to junior defender Humberto Irra, who was able to then head it into the bottom-right corner of the goal, putting the Leopards up, 3-1.
Less than a minute later Gonzalez was able to settle a punt from La Verne senior goalkeeper Darrin Bangle and set up junior midfielder Briley Venti who took on Whittier goalkeeper Jorge Rivas, one-on-one.
Venti shot to the bottom-left corner of the net, putting the ball just past Rivas’ reach and sealing the Leopards’ victory.
“I made an overlapping run like Coach Trevor taught us and Nate saw me and just slotted me in and I just had to finish it,” Venti said.
Gonzalez started off the game with a rocket of a shot from the 18-yard box straight into the top-left corner of the goal with five minutes left in the first half.
Whittier answered back less than two minutes later with a goal by junior forward James Suri.
In the last few minutes of the match, freshman defender Jonathan Pham stepped up to assist Bangle in the goal after a shot off a free kick almost got past him.
“It was about to go in, I could only get a little tip on it and I was hoping it was going to go wide and then (Pham) saved me, gave me a little touch back and I was able to pick it up before the forwards got to it,” Bangle said.
La Verne also defeated Caltech, 2-0, Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.
The first goal came in the 11th minute as Gonzalez was able to score on a cross from junior forward Saul Uribe.
“I was just thinking I needed to make a perfect run so Saul could see me so that he could slip it through, and once I got it I just finished it,” Gonzalez said.
Ten minutes into the second half, La Verne junior midfielder Justin Funes was taken out in the box by junior Caltech keeper J.D. Feist, earning a penalty kick for the Leopards.
Gonzalez stepped up and put the ball away in the bottom-right corner of the goal, securing the Leopards’ win.
“I was confident that I would make it and I was just waiting for the goalie to dive before I shot it and once he dived I just picked the right corner,” Gonzalez said.
With the wins, the Leopards move on to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason play and improve to a 10-4-1 record in SCIAC play with a 14-4-1 record overall.
The men will take on Redlands at 7 p.m. Saturday at Farquhar Fields in Redlands.
“Win or lose come Saturday, the guys are feeling pretty positive about everything,” Persson said.
The SCIAC postseason tournament starts Nov. 4.
Kat Simonelli can be reached at kathryn.simonelli@laverne.edu.