The Men’s Soccer team won the 2014 SCIAC Men’s Soccer Postseason Tournament championship to earn its first NCAA Division III Tournament bid since 1980.
Claremont, Calif. (November 10, 2014) – This week in Sagehens Athletics saw the Men’s Soccer team win the 2014 SCIAC Men’s Soccer Postseason Tournament championship to earn its first NCAA Division III Tournament bid since 1980.
Men’s Soccer earned its way into the championship game with a 2-1 home win over Chapman on Thursday, and then defeated top-seeded Redlands 1-0 on the road on Saturday to earn the NCAA bid. Andrew Lind ’14 had a key role in the midfield as a team captain, while the Sagehens also got key contributions from Chase Abelson ’17 and Ethan Flor ’18, who saw significant second half playing time against Redlands to help preserve the 1-0 win. The Sagehens will face regional host Texas-Dallas on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, with Trinity (Texas) and Hardin-Simmons battling in the other regional semifinal.
Volleyball and Women’s Soccer both fell in the SCIAC semifinals to see their seasons end. Ellen Yamasaki ’15 had a strong performance in her final match with a team-high 14 kills in a loss to Cal Lutheran, which is ranked No. 3 in the nation. Women’s Soccer held a 1-0 lead at Cal Lutheran on Wednesday with just over 15 minutes to go, but the Regals came back for the 2-1 win.
Men’s Water Polo had a pair of wins this week, defeating Caltech 19-5 and then having an outstanding performance in a 19-8 home win over La Verne in its final match in Haldeman Pool this season. Stephen Vint ’15 had four goals in his last game in his home pool to help lead the Sagehens to the win. Kyle Van der Linde ’15 added a team-high four goals against Caltech, while Devin Kennedy ’16 added three and Austin Strong ’15 had two. Daniel Diemer ’18 had a combined 10 saves in the two matches. Men’s Water Polo crosses the street to take on CMS on Wednesday before closing out the regular season at Cal Lutheran on Saturday.
Football fell on the short end of a 41-37 defeat to La Verne, but the offense rolled up 670 yards, second most in school history, thanks to the contributions of Robert Ciafullo ’18 and Colton Coss ’17 on the offensive line. Sean Mulcahy ’16 caught the first two touchdown passes of his career from the tight end position, while also contributing to the offensive line’s performance. The Sagehens host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the annual Sixth Street Rivalry game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Cross Country heads to Salem, Oregon this weekend to compete in the NCAA Division III Regionals. The Men’s Cross Country team will be looking to defend its 2013 title, with Paul Messana ’17 among the competitors, while the Women’s Cross Country team will also hope for a team qualification to nationals with Camille Matonis ’15 among its top runners.
Swimming and Diving competed in the Redlands Pentathlon this weekend and had several strong performances. Cayla Nishizaki ’17 was fifth in the women’s competition out of 120 entrants, including the second-best time in the field in the 100-yard butterfly (54.65).
Women’s Basketball opens its 2014-15 season at home on Saturday against Pacific Lutheran at 5 p.m. Amelia Hummel ’16 is one of the team captains this season, while Basha Brulee-Wills ’17, Kacie Hitomi ’17 and McKenna VanderKley ’17 are also returning players expected to be significant contributors. Anya Quig ’18 will also look to earn her way into the rotation in her first season.
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This Week’s Schedule
(Home Events In Bold)
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Men’s Water Polo at CMS, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 14
Men’s Soccer at Texas-Dallas, TBA (NCAA Division III Tournament)
Saturday, Nov. 15
Swimming/Diving at Cal Baptist, 10 a.m.
Cross Country at NCAA Regionals, 11 a.m. (Salem, Ore.)
Men’s Water Polo at Cal Lutheran, 11 a.m.
Football (H) vs. CMS, 1 p.m.
Women’s Basketball (H) vs. Pacific Lutheran, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 16
Pomona-Pitzer vs. Trinity/Hardin-Simmons, TBA (NCAA Second Round – if PP advances)
