PASADENA, Calif. –

Occidental 15, Caltech 10

Four different players posted a hat trick as Occidental posted a five goal win in the opening match of the season for both teams. While both teams play in the SCIAC it is officially a non-conference contest.

After a scoreless four minutes to open the game, the Tigers scored on back-to-back possessions midway through the first period to take a 2-0 edge. The Beavers got their first goal of the season when Tim MacDonald found the back of the cage with 58 seconds left in the stanza. Occidental countered with a goal with nine seconds left in the quarter to take a 3-1 edge after eight minutes.

Caltech Goals -- Jack Blackwood Scores a Blind Goal, Tim MacDonald Gets a Goal on the Advantage, CJ Culpepper Gets His First Tally of 2012

Occidental nudged ahead with the first two goals of the second quarter before Jack Blackwood scored with 5:49 left until halftime. A Jim Blackwood goal brought the Caltech deficit to 5-3 with 4:13 remaining. However a Jalen Lubbers net finder with 38 seconds left in the frame gave the visitors a 6-3 cushion at intermission.

The start of the third period mirrored the first two as Occidental scored two consecutive goals as they upped their advantage to 8-3. However, Caltech goals by MacDonald and Jim Blackwood got the home squad back within three goals at 8-5. But Occidental scored three of the final four goals over the final 3:02 of the period in taking an 11-6 advantage into the final quarter.

A C.J. Culpepper goal 34 seconds in the final frame brought Caltech within 11-7. However, that was as close as the Beavers deficit got in a high scoring quarter. During the final eight minutes the teams combined to post eight goals.