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California Institute of Technology

Etienne Casanova celebrating after scoring action shot vs. Whittier
2
Winner Whittier WC (5-2-2, 3-2-0 SCIAC)
1
Caltech CIT (6-3-1, 1-2-1 SCIAC)
Winner
Whittier WC
(5-2-2, 3-2-0 SCIAC)
2
Final
1
Caltech CIT
(6-3-1, 1-2-1 SCIAC)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Whittier WC 1 1 2
Caltech CIT 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Nathan Cooperman

Casanova Scores Equalizer as Caltech Hosts Whittier

PASADENA, Calif. — The Caltech men's soccer team hosted Whittier College Wednesday afternoon in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire.

The Beavers' lone score came at a crucial point in the match, when junior midfielder Etienne Casanova (San Jose, Calif. / Saratoga) fired a highlight reel shot past the Poets' keeper to tie the score.  

The matchup was tight the entire way through as Caltech relied on strong goalkeeping and big plays to keep the pressure on Whittier. The squad fought valiantly until the final horn and came up just short in the final minutes.

The Poets got on the board in the first five minutes of play, but the Beavers' response reflected throughout the rest of the half. After the goal, Sophomore keeper Ethan Hamel (Portola Valley, Calif. / Woodside) settled in and shutdown Whittier with six saves in the first half to keep the game within one goal.
 
The Beavers' offense came alive after the score as well, as they totaled nine first half shots and applied steady pressure in the Poets' defensive zone. In the 15th minute of the half, senior midfielder Alex Gogola (Houston, Texas / Strake Jesuit College Prep) dribbled the ball up the middle of the field by himself and fired a curving shot, hitting the crossbar. This was the Beavers' best scoring opportunity in the half as the team headed to the break trailing 1-0.

The Beavers' momentum carried over into the second half of play. After thirteen minutes of battling, Casanova scored an incredible goal, with an initial assist coming from the feet of senior forward Andy Dimnaku (Wellesley, Mass. Wellesley).

The game remained close until Whitter regained the lead with its second goal in the waning minutes. Caltech fought hard the rest of the way and in the last moments of the match first-year midfielder Dean Yao (Philadelphia / Germantown Friends) took a shot which was saved, and this would end up being the final opportunity for Caltech.

The squad looks to bounce back in its next matchup, which will take place on the North Field against California Lutheran University on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. Follow Caltech Men's Soccer on Instagram and Caltech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.
 
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