“We begin the season with a game against our sister program in Pacific Lutheran and play some tough early games before opening league play,” Kuntz shared. “Our success on the field last year and our diligence in the offseason will hopefully pay dividends for our team this year.”

CLU starts off the home schedule for all teams when they host the Inaugural Kingsmen Kickoff Classic on Friday, Aug. 30 and Sunday, Sept. 1 at William Rolland Stadium. The year gets underway on the turf with a neutral site game between Occidental and UC Santa Cruz at 5:00 p.m. followed by a showdown between Cal Lutheran and Pacific Lutheran at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday the teams will reconvene at Rolland Stadium with the PLU Lutes and Oxy Tigers facing off at 11:00 a.m. and the Kingsmen hosting the UCSC Banana Slugs in a nightcap at 7:30 p.m.

A week later on Saturday, Sept. 7 Cal Lutheran welcomes George Fox (Ore.) to Thousand Oaks at 6:30 p.m. for the final pre-season game on the schedule for the Violet and Gold.

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play is set to start on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at Chapman with kickoff slated for 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 the Kingsmen return home for their SCIAC home opener against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 7:00 p.m.

The second meeting between the Panthers and Kingsmen, on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m., is the final event of the 2013 Cal Lutheran Homecoming festivities.

A majority of the CLU games will take place at 7:00 p.m. with the exception of road games at Caltech (Sept. 28) and Pomona-Pitzer (Oct. 23), which will begin at 4:00 p.m. and an away contest at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Oct. 14) for the only day game of the season at 1:00 p.m.

This year Cal Lutheran will play 11 of the 19 games on their schedule within the friendly confines of Rolland Stadium.

Release: 2013 Schedule
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

The water polo, soccer, volleyball and football camps were developed by CLU coaches and will be run with the assistance of Olympians and student-athletes in the university’s new sports facilities. All camps are open to both boys and girls.

Sessions of the All-American Water Polo Camp for youths 12 to 17 will run from June 19 through 23 and July 10 through 14 in Samuelson Aquatics Center. Day and overnight options are available. Terry Schroeder, a four-time Olympic water polo player and the USA Men’s Olympic Team head coach from 2006 to 2012, will lead the camps alongside Olympians Merrill Moses and Kelly Rulon and CLU head water polo coach and three-time Division III National Coach of the Year Craig Rond.

Sessions of the Soccer Camp for youths aged 5 to 13 will run from 9 a.m. to noon June 24 through 28 and July 29 through Aug. 2 in William Rolland Stadium. The co-directors are CLU head men’s soccer coach Dan Kuntz and head women’s soccer coach Frank Marino. Kuntz, also CLU’s director of athletics, led the men’s soccer team to seven Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles and the women’s team to eight straight SCIAC titles. In his four years at CLU, Marino has led the Regals to three consecutive SCIAC regular season championships and three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) postseason competitions.

The Volleyball Camp for sixth- through ninth-grade students will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. July 15 through 19 in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center under the direction of CLU volleyball coach Kellee Roesel. One of the top Division III coaches in the country, Roesel was named the DIII American Volleyball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year for the second time in 2012 after guiding CLU to its third-straight SCIAC championship and its second consecutive NCAA Tournament as the top West Region seed.

The Football FUNdamentals Camp for kids aged 5 to 12 will run from 8:30 to noon July 22 through 26 in William Rolland Stadium under the direction of CLU head football coach Ben McEnroe. Since McEnroe took the helm at his alma mater six years ago, the Kingsmen have won five SCIAC championships and made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III championships. Co-director Anthony Lugo is entering his sixth season on the Kingsmen’s defensive coaching staff.

For more information and registration, visit http://clusports.com/camps

In 2003, Elaine Benditson inspired the concept and the Cal Lutheran Scholar-Athlete Society was created to acknowledge the academic achievements of CLU athletes. The institution believes it is important to give special emphasis to those students who are competing rigorously to achieve excellence in the classroom and in their chosen sport. The Kingsmen and Regals honored during the ceremony have each proven to bring equal dedication and discipline to both the classroom and chosen fields of play.

Boasting a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average during the academic year, the 2013 induction class was the largest in the 10-year history of the society. The inaugural class had 36 inductees.

Of the student-athletes who participated in 2012-13, 62% (307 of 493) earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Nearly 30% (144) produced a 3.5 or higher GPA. The total GPA for all CLU sports teams this year was 3.147. Offering 20 intercollegiate sports, 16 of those teams produced higher team GPAs in 2012-13 than in 2011-12. Additionally, during the fall semester 12 athletes earned a perfect 4.0.

Following the presentation of gifts to those inducted, a pair of distinguished student-athletes was recognized. Senior golfer and bioengineering major Chad Kimmelshue and senior swimmer and liberal studies major Cortney Jordan were selected by the CLU Faculty Athletic Policies Committee as the Male and Female SCIAC Scholar Athlete, respectively.

While Kimmelshue was in Florida competing at the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, Jordan, a two-time Paralympian and S7 American Record Holder in 17 events, took to the podium.

Going on to be an ambassador and speaker for the Paralympics, Jordan stepped up to the microphone where she engulfed the audience with a sincere and strong message. She spoke to four phenomenal points:

1. The gift of being in the moment.
2. Passion for what you are doing.
3. Focusing on teammates and how others will remember you and how you can make others feel good.
4. Never-Ever giving up!

During her speech she also touched on the notion of cherishing differences, respecting others, assuming responsibility and having no regrets.  

Cal Lutheran attracts students from all walks of life and areas of the world. Its diversity is unique and the passion that each and every student possesses is special. For many, one of those passions is sport, in turn producing amazing student-athletes for the Kingsmen and Regals year in and year out.

Scholar Athlete Society: 2013 Induction Class
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There are 178,441 DIII student-athletes as compared to 459,253 in Division I and II combined from coast to coast. Division III, however, represents the largest division in the NCAA at 40 percent of the total membership.

The NCAA sponsors 28 Championship events with 14 for men and 14 for women. There are also eight National Collegiate Championships. Overall, CLU sponsors 20 intercollegiate athletic programs, which is above the average (17) of like institutions.

Cal Lutheran is one of the 80 percent of active institutions that are private with 20 percent of DIII schools on public campuses. Across the board the average enrollment of Division III schools is 2,734.

All of the schools that fall in the Division III category are expected to promote the model of discover, develop and dedicate. CLU is right on track with that mantra by succeeding academically and athletically while giving back to the community.

In 2013 there will be CLU 147 student-athletes inducted into the Scholar Athlete Society by holding a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average. This number is higher than it has ever been and numerous student-athletes throughout the season have earned both Academic All-SCIAC and other sport specific academic accolades.

CLU teams have been just as successful on the field, court, course and in the pool with 10 teams earning national rankings in 2012-13. Both men’s golf and women’s water polo have held No. 1 rankings in their respective polls this year. CLU teams have claimed four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles thus far with four teams and one athlete advancing to NCAA Championship play. The spring sports have much hope to increase those numbers with more than half of the teams in the hunt for a league title.

Beyond those two areas, CLU students have also taken time to give back. One example is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that is headed in 2012-13 by Lauren Rasmussen. She and the other SAAC members have put together a community service project in conjunction with DIII Week.

The group is scheduled to do a Ball and Old Sports Equipment Drive throughout the week of April 8-12. Items will be collected both at the Welcome Desk of the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center during all hours of operation and in the Athletics Offices during operating business hours (9-5). Additionally, SAAC members will be stationed at the flagpole on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to collect items. All donations will be delivered to the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Conejo Valley.

“The biggest thing with this event is that it is something that the SAAC wants to turn into an annual event during DIII Week and we are really excited about it,” Rasmussen said. “The connection to athletics with equipment collection, plus the opportunity to give back to the community by donating items that student-athletes are involved with competitively every day is very rewarding.”

Student Life will be sponsoring a series of student giveaways at a variety of athletic events during Division III Week as well.

Cal Lutheran sunglasses will be given out at Men’s Tennis against No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Poulson Tennis Center to kick off the weekend. On Wednesday, April 10 the water polo team will host Caltech and rally towels will be handed out at the entrance to the Samuelson Aquatics Center. Women’s Tennis fans will have a chance to claim sunglasses on Friday, April 12 when the Regals host Occidental at 2:00 p.m. At Hutton Field softball will host Redlands where seat cushions will be available for student fans at 2:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m. in Ullman Stadium baseball fans can obtain a stadium cup as the Kingsmen host Whittier. Additionally, free Shave It coupons will be distributed to the first 250 students at any of the games.

Finally, the dining commons will be offering sports themed meals and snacks throughout the week, including a nacho bar, Dodger Dogs, peanuts and popcorn, BBQ Tri-Tip sandwiches and soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

“Excitement is beginning to be generated around Division III week on campus,” Director of Athletics Dan Kuntz shared. “We are looking forward to being a part of this unique campaign to promote Division III and the student-athletes we support year in and year out.”

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Division III members passed legislation at the NCAA convention last Saturday allowing private communication with recruits through social networking sites like Facebook.

Coaches have been limited to phone calls, text messages, faxes and emails.

"There are not a lot of phone conversations that go on anymore and I don't think some kids even know what a fax is," CLU athletic director Dan Kuntz said. "Students are living and communicating in social media and I think the schools and coaches realize that. The one concern was privacy and not being intruded upon, but students are pretty savvy. When they don't want to be contacted, they know how to say not now."

Kuntz and James McHugh, the special assistant to the president for athletic affairs at CLU, represented the university at the convention in Grapevine, Texas.

Division III members considered 13 legislative proposals during the convention business session.

Along with the social media proposal, another proposal adopted was requiring confirmation of sickle cell trait status for all student-athletes no later than the 2014-15 academic year, including mandatory confirmation of status for all incoming student-athletes in 2013-14.

People with sickle cell trait have been shown to be more vulnerable than those without the trait to heat stroke and muscle breakdown when subjected to strenuous exercise under unfavorable environmental conditions.

Athletes can opt out of having the test, but will have to receive education regarding sickle cell trait status.

Given the concerns about costs, logistics and how the proposal related to other medical issues, the vote was close (254-200-15).

Not much will change at CLU as the university already required athletes to have the sickle cell trait test.

"There were a lot of conversations around this issue, but in the end it's really about the well-being of the student," Kuntz said. "If there is something we can do to help the well-being of the student, our mindset at CLU is to always do it. Our first priority is always to take better care of our students."

Kuntz said a topic he expects to be discussed in the future is establishing boundaries at the Division III level, where there are no athletic scholarships.

"Being less intrusive on students and offering a better work-life balance for the staff is huge," Kuntz said. "Division III is intended to have more restrictions because the emphasis is to allow student-athletes to be students. They need opportunities to study abroad and not have coaches on them year-round. We need to allow them to have a well-rounded experience."

Kuntz was attending the NCAA convention for the eighth time and can't wait to go back next year when it comes to San Diego.

"I think it's all fascinating because I can learn so much," Kuntz said. "There are so many good things and different ways to think about things and talk about these social issues that are in sports."

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After Fleming tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last season in soccer, Olmon was responsible for his rehabilitation.

It was the first rehab program from major reconstructive surgery Olmon oversaw at CLU.

She took great pride in Fleming's progress and his return to the field this fall.

"Watching him score his first goal was the coolest feeling. I felt like I actually had a part in getting him back out there," Olmon said. "It was just super rewarding to get to experience something like that."

Those small victories are the reason Olmon, 24, began working as an athletic trainer.

She enjoys helping athletes remain in the game and reach their full potential.

Olmon's father works for Nike, so her family was on the move throughout her childhood. She was born in England and lived in Belgium and Japan before settling in Portland, Ore., at age 16.

"Sports was the only thing I had to fall back on after losing all my friends and making new friends," Olmon said. "I always had sports as a crutch in a way to get me through the hard times. It was something I had to have in my life."

Olmon also developed an interest in the medical field, and decided to combine her two passions by pursuing athletic training.

"It was right down my alley," she said. "I already had so many injuries myself and knew I needed someone like that in my life. It was a perfect fit."

Olmon was drawn to Cal Lutheran for its integrated athletic training program, and she began shadowing head trainer Kecia Davis shortly after arriving on campus in 2006.

She collected more than 1,700 internship hours between her sophomore and senior years and passed her certification exam on her first try.

She began working part time at CLU in 2010 while also working in the emergency room at Los Robles Hospital.

Once a full-time athletic training position opened this year, Olmon was hired.

Davis, Olmon and Cody Owens divide the athletic training responsibilities. They evaluate injuries, help with rehab and staff games and practices for every CLU team.

"I couldn't picture a better environment to work in," Olmon said. "Kecia is almost like the mom and Cody and I are like a brother and sister. We are always there for each other and always have each other's backs because of how many athletes we see on a daily basis."

Olmon's interactions with athletes can go beyond providing ice and electrical stimulation.

"Sometimes I feel like a sports psychologist because there are issues they might be having with their school work or a teammate and coach," she said. "They want to know how to approach it because I am a neutral party. We are everyone's friend in a way."

With only basketball and swimming taking place in the winter season, Olmon is trying to spend time updating CLU's rehabilitation protocol.

"My goal is to kind of make what we have more precise and well-rounded," Olmon said. "We have something in place, but I think it could be stronger and I want to make sure we are documenting everything properly and are more organized."

Olmon's bond with CLU has grown even stronger since she married Cole Olmon.

His grandfather, The Rev. Dr. Luther Olmon, was on the original founding Board of Regents at Cal Lutheran. He died in September at age 92.

"I feel a sense of legacy almost to continue his legacy at CLU," Samantha Olmon said. "I feel like I belong there and my job was my calling. If I can have some small impact on campus, that it would mean so much to me."

The Oxnard, Calif. native finished the year with 10 goals and five assists and four of the 10 were game winning goals for Cal Lutheran. In SCIAC play, the forward netted eight goals with four assists and accumulated a .453 shot on goal percentage. Overall he fired off 75 shots against league opponents and took 91 shots overall in 2012.

As a freshman Yepez was named to the Second Team All-SCIAC and after an injury plagued sophomore year he was honored on the First Team All-SCIAC following his junior campaign.

Yepez was the only Kingsmen player honored by the league.

The SCIAC Athlete of the Year went to David Taylor, a senior from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps while Occidental players earned both the Newcomer of the Year and Brine Award of Distinction. Junior Jack Day was honored in his first season for the Tigers while Reid Sakamoto closed out his career with the Distinction award.

Official Release: 2012 All-SCIAC Team
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

The lone CLU goal came by way of senior striker Raul Yepez who scored in the 26^th minute on a penalty kick. Cal Lutheran trailed 3-0 at the time and cut the deficit to two, but the Stags’ Hogan Marhoefer would tack on three more in the opening half, adding a fourth goal of the night in the 69^th minute.

CMS outshot CLU 37-7, earning eight corner kicks to three for the Kingsmen. Yepez was the only Cal Lutheran player to take more than one shot, finishing with two.

With a SCIAC record of 13-2-1 the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens won the team title in 2012.

Cal Lutheran (8-12, 6-10 SCIAC) bids farewell to four seniors. The Kingsmen finished seventh.

Box Score: CMS 8, CLU 1

Fired up and ready to play, CLU and Chapman took the field.

It was the Panthers who put up a crooked number first when Duncan Capriotti scored from inside the box in the 14^th minute of play.

In the 43^rd minute of his final start at home, Raul Yepez fired off a shot that was saved, however the Kingsmen earned a corner kick. Tyler Pascoe lifted the ball into the box where Salvatore Baldi passed to Alex Wardle who headed the ball into the net to equalize the score at 1-1 with just under three minutes to play in the opening half.

Neither team would add to the tally in the opening frame. The visiting squad outshot the home team, seven to five, in the first half of a well-balanced game.

In the 67^th minute CLU goalie Jack Duncan came out of the cage for a loose ball, which the Panthers controlled. Capriotti took his shot at a second goal, and while on target with no keeper in sight, Cal Lutheran defender Ivan Sanchez positioned himself in the middle of the net and headed the ball out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, the Panthers would strike two minutes later when Mauricio Alfonso converted a penalty kick, giving CU a 2-1 lead and ultimately the victory.

Danny Kuntz and Enrique Zaragoza each started his final game at home and Silas Wanje took the field in the second half during his final game.

Overall CU outshot CLU 26 to 18. Yepez took four shots with one on goal while Baldi, Kuntz, Wardle and Julian Hernandez each fired off a pair.

For Chapman, Alfonso led all players with eight shots, five on target, and Nich Echeverry took six with two on goal.

Cal Lutheran goalies combined for 10 saves with Duncan making nine and Miguel Silva coming in for the final 7:30, recording one.

Cal Lutheran (8-11, 6-9 SCIAC) closes out the 2012 season on the road Saturday, Oct. 27 when they travel to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

Box Score: CU 2, CLU 1

But Mayra Virgen managed to break his concentration five years ago.(view photos)

Yepez spotted Virgen across the field when she arrived to train with his club team, and he was immediately smitten with his fellow striker.

"I had never seen Mayra before in my life, so the first time I saw her I was like, 'Who is she? I need to meet her,' " Yepez said. "I guess it was love at first sight."

Yepez began a pursuit that lasted nearly a year, and his patience was rewarded when the two officially became a couple in 2008.

After enduring an unthinkable tragedy at the start of their relationship, the Cal Lutheran seniors have remained together.

The two will each be honored at their team's Senior Night this week, and are on track to become the first in their families to earn a college degree.

"It's really funny how everything worked out," Virgen said. "Soccer is what brought us together because we have loved playing it since we were small. But we discovered we had so many other things in common as well, and both had bigger goals for our lives. I was really lucky to find him."

Yepez was a first-team All-Pacific View League star at Pacifica High while Virgen was earning the same honors at Hueneme High.

They started dating just before their senior year in high school, and only a few months later their relationship was put to the test.

In December 2008, Virgen's mother was killed in a hit-and-run accident a block away from Yepez's house.

Virgen's family had just picked her up from a visit when a suspected burglar ran a red light while fleeing from the scene of a vehicle break-in.

He broadsided the family's pickup truck, causing it to flip multiple times.

As he was walking back into his house, Yepez heard a loud boom and saw the truck flip.

He ran to get his brothers and then sprinted to the scene. He would soon discover Virgen's mother had died.

"At the beginning, I thought it was my fault because they came to my house when it happened," Yepez said. "But my parents told me it wasn't my fault and maybe it was meant to happen this way. My parents told me to take care of Mayra because she needs you right now, and that is what I did."

Rather than pull the two apart, the accident brought them even closer together.

"He was there to support me at an important time in my life, and I don't know where I would have ended up without him," Virgen said. "I had my ups and downs struggling with the accident, and I know it affected him a lot too. I think there was a reason for him to enter my life just before my mom died."

Despite their close relationship, Yepez and Virgen were not a package deal at CLU.

In fact, both weren't even planning to attend the university until the last minute.

After a few of his college options fell through, Yepez made a recruiting trip a week before the deadline to enroll.

Yepez was talking with CLU men's head coach Dan Kuntz when CLU women's coach Frank Marino entered the office.

Marino told Yepez he wanted to contact a girl from the Oxnard area whose mother had died. He asked Yepez if he knew her.

"It was like it was meant to be," Yepez said. "I called Mayra and told her I had a surprise for her. The coach from Cal Lutheran wants her to play for them. I think it happened for a reason."

Yepez had opportunities to play professionally in Mexico, but decided to remain in the United States to pursue his education.

"The chances of making it at that level are really hard, and I knew having a diploma would be something that would help me forever," Yepez said. "I have seen a few friends from Oxnard take a year off from school to play soccer, and what ends up happening is they never go back. I wanted to change that."

Yepez and Virgen have lived at home with their families while commuting to CLU the last four years.

Yepez is majoring in accounting and Virgen is majoring in biology. She wants to become a nurse.

"I have always wanted to go into the medical field," she said. "I want to be able to work hard and get a good job for my future. I know my mom wanted me to go to school and stay on the right path."

Becoming the first in their families to earn college degrees is something Yepez and Virgen take great pride in achieving.

"It is a privilege," Yepez said. "I want to be a role model for my youngest brother. I want him to follow in my footsteps. He is a senior right now in high school and I am helping him write to universities to make sure he goes to a good college."

Although Yepez and Virgen have talked about marriage, the 21-year-olds are in no hurry.

After all they have been through, they just value each day they can spend together.

"Our priority now is to finish school and then get jobs," Yepez said. "After that, we'll see what life gives us. But I see myself with her for the rest of my life."

When the teams met earlier this season, Occidental scored a late goal to down Cal Lutheran after the Kingsmen played with 10 men for nearly 86 minutes. Tonight it was a reversed outcome as the CLU defense held the Tigers offense off the board and scored the one they needed late in the opening half.

Tonight, head coach Dan Kuntz opted to shuffle his starting line-up, which ultimately paid dividends as CLU returned to the win column for the first time since Oct. 13.

“Playing a schedule like ours with games so close together is tough,” Kuntz said following the victory. “We always had the plan of incorporating players into the rotation and with a number of guys worn down tonight was the time.”

Film work allowed for added preparation in anticipation of the rematch.

“We knew we needed to bring pressure on their big back and starting Lucas [Kurzon] against him allowed us to limit the chances for Oxy,” Kuntz noted.

Another change tonight was moving Alex Wardle, who has tallied 1590 minutes of action, only sitting for half a game against Chapman, to the midfield after playing as primarily a defender the first 18 games.

“Moving Alex allowed him to get the ball to Lucas and Raul [Yepez],” Kuntz shared.

Just over half way through the opening half the changes produced the results the team hoped for.

In the 29^th minute CLU had a goal negated as the referees called offsides on the Kingsmen, leaving the teams scoreless, but less than a minute later Raul Yepez lifted a corner kick perfectly in front of the Tigers cage where Ivan Sanchez headed the ball into the net, this time leaving no questions, as the home squad took a 1-0 advantage.

Sanchez was forced from the field four minutes later when he and an opposing player made head-to-head contact.

It was a physical game overall, seeing a trio of yellow cards as well as 17 fouls with Oxy committing 12.

In the second stanza Occidental brought the pressure, peppering the CLU goal with 15 shots, but a solid performance by Jack Duncan kept the Tigers off the board.

A scuffle in front of the CLU cage with just over a minute to play ended with the eighth and final save of the game by the freshman keeper.

“Our guys fought to the end tonight,” Kuntz went on, “Occidental battled and made a late push, but our motto of ‘all together’ echoed throughout the players and everyone worked for the entire game and it paid off.”

The teams would combine for 43 shots, Cal Lutheran holding a 22-21 edge.  

Among those earning a start was Nathan Davidson. Kuntz spoke to his ability to move the ball and open up opportunities for the offense, which he proved tonight with three shots, producing numerous additional chances for his teammates.

Sanchez, Lucan Kurzon and Tyler Pascoe each took three shots as well while Wardle, Yepez and Matt Hubbard fired off a pair apiece.

Occidental earned more corner kicks, nine, than Cal Lutheran, three.

Jack Kay led the Tigers offense with seven shots, four on goal, as Occidental fell to 7-8 overall, 6-8 in league play.

Cal Lutheran (8-10, 6-8 SCIAC) will recognize its seniors prior to the final home game of the fall on Wednesday, Oct. 24. CLU will host Chapman at 7:00 p.m. at Rolland Stadium.

Box Score: CLU 1, OXY 0

The Whittier starting goalie received a red card in the fifth minute and WC was forced to play a man down the entire contest.

Cal Lutheran took advantage of that, nearly tripling the Poets offensive output with 28 shots to Whittier’s 10, but it was the visiting Purple and Gold who had the upper hand.

In the 21^st and 81^st minutes Brian Russell served up a free kick to Srdan Jovanovic who headed the ball into the net for nearly identical scoring plays for the Poets.

CLU equalized the score to 1-1 just before halftime when Raul Yepez dribbled through a pair of Whittier defenders and shot from 10 yards out for the goal in his final homecoming game.

Each team earned six corner kicks with all of Whittier’s in the first half while CLU had four in the first 45 minutes and two in the final half of action.

Yepez took more shots, 11, than the entire WC team. He had five on goal and a number of others that went just high. Both Ivan Sanchez and Enrique Zaragoza had three shots in the game.

As a team, CLU took four consecutive shots that were just high, clearing the cross bar by inches, in a three minute period beginning in the 54^th minute.

Seven Kingsmen played the entire contest. Earning the start was Jack Duncan. Joining the goalie on the field for all 90 minutes were Sanchez, Yepez, Zaragoza, Kyle Fleming, Thiago Gaglianone and Alex Wardle.

Cal Lutheran (7-10, 5-8 SCIAC) will be back at Rolland Stadium on Monday, Oct. 22 when they host Occidental at 7:00 p.m.  

Box Score: WC 2, CLU 1

Cal Lutheran came out fired up and controlled the momentum throughout the majority of the opening half. The Kingsmen fired off 10 shots and earned five corner kicks, keeping the Redlands defense active.

Nearly through the opening period unscathed, the Kingsmen saw that scoreless game broken up when the Bulldogs struck first. In the 40^th minute a UR player dribbled the ball in front of the net and when CLU keeper Rey Rivera-Ramos went to the ground to smother the ball, it was tipped out of reach where AJ VanderStaay collected the loose ball and tapped it into the bottom left corner of the cage.

After the break a tenacious Kingsmen squad came back onto the field.

In the 61^st minute after another CLU corner kick Kyle Fleming nearly bicycle kicked the ball over the head of the UR goalie into the net, but it was just high, clearing the crossbar by inches to leave the Kingsmen at a 1-0 deficit. The crowd, that was loud and into the game, breathed a sigh and repeated that collective gasp as Yepez and Matt Hubbard had another opportunity in a 2-on-1 situation that CLU was unable to convert ten minutes later.

Late in the second stanza Yepez again used his quick feet and ball control to set up a shot from Fleming, who forced the UR goalie to make a diving stop.

Down the stretch, in the final minute of play, CLU had its chances, but UR defenders cleared the ball out of Bulldogs territory to squash any chances for a Kingsmen comeback.

CLU took one more shot, 14, than UR’s 13 and had more corner kicks with seven, to the Bulldogs three. Fleming, who played the entire game and Yepez tied to lead all players with three shots, two on goal, apiece. Peter Keks also took two shots for CLU tonight.

Defensively, Rivera-Ramos played all 90 minutes in front of the cage, making five saves. Also playing the entire contest were Keks, Thiago Gaglianone, Ivan Sanchez, Alex Wardle and Enrique Zaragoza.

Cal Lutheran (7-9, 5-7 SCIAC) is off for the rest of the week. The Kingsmen will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 20 when they host Whittier in a 7:00 p.m. Homecoming SCIAC showdown game.

Box Score: UR 1, CLU 0

Although CLU fired off 11 shots in the first half to the Beavers’ seven, it was the home Caltech squad that took an early 1-0 lead. In the 14^th minute Alec Sands scored his first of the season, putting the Kingsmen in a hole.

After the intermission, in the 54^th minute, Cal Lutheran senior Raul Yepez took a shot that was blocked by Caltech goalie Wesley Swank but freshman Salvatore Baldi was there to collect the rebound. He quickly punched the ball past Swank for the first collegiate goal of his career.

Though Cal Lutheran would combine for 13 second half shots, limiting the Beavers to five, the teams would remain scoreless through the remainder of regulation, forcing overtime.

During the first extra period CLU doubled up Caltech four shots to two, but none were on target.

In the second OT, at the 104:52 mark David Lee found an open hole in the CIT defense where Yepez awaited the ball and found nothing but net to give the Kingsmen the win.

Overall CLU outshot Caltech 29-14, earning seven corner kicks. Yepez led all players with 10 shots, four on goal. Both Baldi and Peter Keks took four shots and Nathan Davidson finished with three. Ivan Sanchez also created a pair of shots.

Among the seven Kingsmen to play all 105 minutes were four defenders in Keks, Sanchez, Thiago Gaglianone and Alex Wardle and a pair of forwards in Yepez and Kyle Fleming.

Rey Rivera-Ramos played the entire game in front of the cage, saving six shots.

Cal Lutheran (7-8, 5-6 SCIAC) will be back at Rolland Stadium on Monday at 7:00 p.m. when they host Redlands as the teams meet for the second time in five days.

Box Score: CLU 2, CIT 1 (2OT)

UR opened an early 1-0 lead when Matej Kustura scored in the 15^th minute and the Bulldogs added a second in the 28^th minute when Charles Izydorek found the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Cal Lutheran failed to find a rhythm early and the Bulldogs controlled the ball. At the intermission, UR had a 15-7 advantage in shots taken.  

After halftime Kustura added to the Bulldogs lead before the Kingsmen struck in the 73^rd minute. David Lee scored on a penalty kick after a Redlands player was issued a yellow card.

Unfortunately, less than a minute and a half later UR reciprocated with a header off a cross to bump their lead back to three goals at 4-1.

The Kingsmen never stopped playing and Nathan Davidson connected from 25 yards out to cut the Cal Lutheran deficit in half in the 83^rd minute.

CLU used a trio of goalies with Rey Rivera-Ramos playing the first half, recording six saves before Jack Duncan took over to tally five. Miguel Silva played the final 11 minutes, making one stop.

Overall UR racked up 31 shots while CLU fired off 16. Raul Yepez took a team high five with Tyler Pascoe shooting three times and Kyle Fleming taking two.

The Bulldogs earned 11 corner kicks while CLU was awarded just one, coming in the first half.

Cal Lutheran (6-8, 4-6 SCIAC) rounds out its most recent road trip on Saturday, Oct. 12 when they travel to Caltech to play the Beavers at 4:00 p.m.

Box Score: UR 4, CLU 2

PP scored early, netting a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of play to give the Sagehens a lead off the top. Cal Lutheran would cut their deficit in half in the 28^th minute, but unfortunately, 18 seconds later Pomona-Pitzer converted a penalty kick. The goal for the Sagehens served as the ultimate game winner as the home squad pushed their halftime lead to 3-1.

CLU got on the board when Raul Yepez sent a through ball to Lucas Kurzon at the top of the 18 where Kurzon tucked the shot under the sliding PP goalkeeper to put the Kingsmen on the board.

Despite nine saves, including six terrific diving stops, with a couple from point-blank range, for goalie Jack Duncan, the Sagehens found the back of the net twice more in the second stanza. Duncan gave way to junior Miguel Silva, who made his first appearance of 2012 with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation.

In the 82^nd minute Yepez added a goal of his own to his earlier assist. The senior took advantage of a shanked clear by PP, poking the loose ball into the lower right corner of the net.

The teams combined for 27 shots with PP firing off 19 and CLU taking 18. Each team earned three corner kicks in the contest.

Pomona-Pitzer earned a 1-0 victory over the Kingsmen earlier this season.

Cal Lutheran (6-7-, 4-5 SCIAC) will play the middle game of a three game road trip on Wednesday, Oct. 10 when they travel to Redlands (6-4-3, 5-2-2) to play the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. There will be live video and live stats available.

Box Score: PP 5, CLU 2

La Verne got two goals in a matter of two minutes in the first half when Peter Careaga scored for the Leopards in the 36^th minute and Luis Chavez tacked on another goal in the 37^th minute to put the Leopards up 2-0.

The rest of the first half and most of the second half saw CLU struggle to get any momentum going offensively, largely because of the physical play and abundance of fouls interrupting the flow of the game.

Cal Lutheran finally broke through in the 76^th minute when freshman Alex Wardle nailed a free kick from just outside the box into the bottom left of the goal, past the La Verne goalie to pull the Kingsmen to within one.

The Kingsmen had their best chance at an equalizer in the 78^th minute when Bryce Truver made a run down the left flank of the field. He had a give-and-go with Raul Yepez as he broke free from a La Verne defender but his shot on goal went high.

La Verne was able to maintain possession the rest of the game and run out the clock for the victory

Matt Hubbard and Luke Kurzon led the Kingsmen in shots with two apiece while eight other Kingsmen had one shot.

Goalkeeper Jack Duncan came on at halftime and held La Verne scoreless in the second half.

With the loss, Cal Lutheran drops to 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the SCIAC. La Verne improves to 6-6-1 and 4-5 in the SCIAC. The Kingsmen will next make the road trip down the 210 to face Pomona-Pitzer next Monday, Oct. 4, at 4:00 p.m.

Box Score: CLU 1 La Verne 2

CMS came storming out, controlling the momentum in the early going, but Cal Lutheran’s strategy was to continually mix things up.

Using a lot of substitutions to keep fresh legs in the game, the Kingsmen were able to hold the Stags off balance, despite both teams firing off seven shots in the opening half.

Danny Kuntz got the crowd into it in the 14^th minute when he ripped a line drive towards the CMS goal, but it narrowly caught the crossbar keeping the teams scoreless.

It was, however, the Kingsmen who struck first. In the 42^nd minute Matt Hubbard, who got his first collegiate start, scored for the third consecutive game to put CLU on top 1-0. Raul Yepez passed the ball and Hubbard faked out the CMS goalie, who went to the ground, before tapping the ball into the net.

After the intermission it was the Stags who took control, scoring goals in the 51^st and 58^th minutes, by way of Harrison Doyle and David Taylor, respectively.

Cameron Rude fired off a shot in the 70^th minute, with the CMS goalie again on the turf, but it sailed just wide, forcing a collective sigh from the crowd.

Taylor added his second goal of the game, ninth of the season, in the 88^th minute to all but seal the deal for the Stags.

CLU outshot CMS 16 to 13, with six shots on goal to the Stags’ five. Yepez led the offensive attack with five shots, two on goal, narrowly missing on two others. Kuntz, Hubbard, Rude and Nathan Davidson each tallied two shots.

Rey Rivera-Ramos played the entire game in goal and turned away three shots for Cal Lutheran.

CMS earned eight corner kicks to one for the Kingsmen.

Cal Lutheran (6-5-, 4-3 SCIAC) will be back on the field Saturday, Oct. 6 when they host the Leopards from La Verne at 7:00 p.m. There will be live video and live stats available.

Box Score: CMS 3, CLU 1

The Kingsmen were led by senior captain Raul Yepez’s two first-half goals. The first goal came in the 24^th minute and the second one came just before the half and put CLU up for good at 2-1.

Matt Hubbard scored his second goal of the year and CLU then got goals in 83^rd and 84^th minutes when Ivan Sanchez and Bryce Truver both converted on scoring opportunities.

Hubbard, Yepez, Nathan Davidson and Peter Keks had the assists for CLU.

Goalkeeper Rey Rivera-Ramos played all 90 minutes and came up with two saves.

With the win, the Kingsmen improve to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the SCIAC. Chapman drops to 4-5-1 and 3-3-1 in the SCIAC.

Cal Lutheran will be back in action Wednesday, Oct. 3, when they host SCIAC leader Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6-3-1, 5-2) at 7:00 p.m. in Rolland Stadium.

Box Score: CLU 5 CU 1

A physical game saw the Kingsmen with a man-up advantage against Whittier two days after dropping a man-down decision to Occidental.

The Poets started strong but the Kingsmen stayed composed and battled.

An early WC goal in the 7^th minute, by Adolfo Santos on an assist from Dylan Fortin, put Cal Lutheran at a disadvantage. Sophomore Matt Hubbard was able to equalize things 30 minutes later with a score of his own from the top of the box.

After the break the Kingsmen maintained the momentum they gained late in the opening half and came back ready to go.

In the 54^th minute Luis Santana took two shots, one on a free kick, but both were saved by WC goalie David Diaz. The Kingsmen also earned a pair of corner kicks in that minute of play with Santana taking both.

The Poets had a number of opportunities between the 58^th and 61^st minutes but CLU goalkeeper Jack Duncan, in his first collegiate start, saved a pair of big Poets shots.

“We made sure to just take it play by play and save by save so we could focus on the task at hand,” Duncan said.

A minute later, Santos, the Poets leader was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury.

Cal Lutheran put salt in the wound of the Poets as they quickly got down the left side of the field ending with a goal from sophomore midfielder Cameron Rude.

An aggressive second half saw a number of cards handed out and CLU got the upper hand in the 72^nd minute when a red card was issued to a WC player for taking down Raul Yepez, forcing the Poets to play with 10 men for the final 18 minutes.

Whittier had some opportunities down the stretch and brought the pressure on the Kingsmen over the final five minutes, but the CLU defense of Ivan Sanchez, Peter Keks, Thiago Gaglianone and Alex Wardle stepped up as they did all game to silence those opportunities.

When asked about the situation late in the game, Duncan responded, “I have to give a lot of the credit to my teammates in the back for helping me with instructions and also trusting me,” the first year player said. “They had my back the whole game to make sure that we closed out the game with a win.”

Duncan recorded 12 saves, six in each half.

Cal Lutheran tallied 17 total shots, led by Yepez who took six while Hubbard fired off three. Luis Santana took two shots, both on goal, while Tyler Pascoe also had two with one at the cage.

Whittier finished with 24 shots at the CLU cage tonight.

Each team earned six corner kicks.

The CLU win displaces the Poets from the top of the SCIAC standings.

Duncan concluded, “It was hard work, but this win was a tremendous boost to the team and another step in the right direction.”

Cal Lutheran (5-4, 3-2 SCIAC) concludes their four-game road trip with a Saturday night showdown at Chapman on Sept. 29. The teams will take the field at 7:00 p.m.

Box Score: CLU 2, WC 1