Men's soccer celebrates its championship

Men’s soccer wins first ever SCIAC Championship

EAGLE ROCK, Calif. – For the first time in program history, the Chapman University men's soccer team was crowned the SCIAC Champions. The Panthers defeated No. 3-seed Occidental 1-0 to claim the title.

Freshman Tobi Howe scored the lone goal of the match in the 15th minute. The rookie found the back of the net after fellow freshman Zack Matteoni sent a cross into the 18-yard box. Howe timed his jump just right, heading the ball into the far side netting to lift the Panthers to victory.

The Tigers came out of the halftime talk firing, playing long ball after long ball behind Chapman's back line. Juniors Jarod Matteoni, Patrick Quinn and Connor McLane and Zach Matteoni all held strong on defense, allowing just four shots in the second half while playing all 90 minutes of the hard-fought match.

Freshman goalkeeper Chandler Siemonsma played his second stellar match of the postseason, making five saves and keeping the Panthers in the match in some crucial moments. The rookie earned the distinction of Most Valuable Player of the Postseason Tournament for his work between the pipes.

This will be the Panthers' second NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the SCIAC in 2012. Chapman will tune into the selection show on Monday, Nov. 5 to find out who they will be facing off against in the first round of the tournament.

by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant

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