James Tribbey dribbles the ball.
Photo by Larry Newman

Men’s soccer holds off Occidental behind Tribbey’s goal

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University men's soccer team earned a big 2-1 victory over SCIAC opponent Occidental on Saturday evening. Senior James Tribbey led the way with a game-winning goal to give the Panthers the edge.

Chapman gained momentum in the first half hour of the match and finally struck in the 31st minute. Freshman Tobi Howe found junior Ryan Onart with a ball over Occidental's back line. Onart just needed one touch to settle the ball before he lofted a volley past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

The Panthers continued to test the Tigers' defense and with under 30 seconds left to play in the first half, they extended their lead. Senior Kai Howe settled the ball in the middle of the pitch, taking a few dribbles before sending a ball over the Occidental defenders to Tribbey. Tribbey let the ball bounce to him perfectly, then took a first-touch volley to find the side netting.

The match got chippy, with both teams getting aggressive. Chapman tallied 13 fouls while Occidental tallied nine. In the 80th minute, junior Jarod Matteoni committed a foul in the box to give the Tigers a penalty kick. Senior Liam Walsh converted the PK to make the score 2-1, but the Panther back line stayed solid in the final 10 minutes of play to help move Chapman up to third place in the SCIAC.

The Panthers peppered sophomore goalkeeper Scott Drazan with six shots on goal, forcing him to make four saves throughout the match.

Sophomore Chandler Siemonsma earned his third win of the season after tallying one save in all 90 minutes of play. Chapman's back line was solid, as senior Nick Rooney, junior Patrick Quinn and Matteoni only allowed one goal while playing the full 90 minutes.

The Panthers hit the road for their next two matches but return home to Wilson Field on Wednesday, Sept. 26 to take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 4pm.

by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant

Become a fan of Chapman Athletics on Facebook
Follow Chapman Athletics on Twitter @ChapmanSports
Post your #PantherPic to Instagram @ChapmanSports
#Chaptown