CLAREMONT, CA. - The No. 2 nationally ranked Trinity Tigers (1-1) were edged 1-0 by a much-changed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps side (2-0) in a tightly contested, cagey affair at Nakasone Field on Friday evening, opening their California road swing on a sour note.
The Stags, who have retooled significantly since last season's up-and-down campaign, presented the Tigers with a far different look than the group Trinity beat 2-1 to open last year's season. The game never opened up into the kind of flowing, chance-filled affair Trinity is used to producing, with the Tigers unable to settle into their usual rhythm. Both sides traded spells of pressure without much cutting edge, and the match had the feel of a back-and-forth, nervy battle from the opening whistle, with 22 fouls whistled by the midway point of the second half alone.
Chances were hard to come by for Trinity in the first 45 minutes, as CMS carried the better of the half's early half-chances. The Tigers' best look of the opening period came from an
Eloy Ferrer (Houston, Texas / Tompkins) header that was comfortably gathered by the CMS goalkeeper in the closing seconds.Â
The breakthrough, when it came, arrived against the balance of play. In the 48th minute, Ross latched onto a fortunate breakaway down the right and finished smartly past goalkeeper
Jayden Schell (Dallas, Texas / Plano)Â off a Gomez assist, handing the Stags a lead Trinity would spend the rest of the night chasing. It was CMS's only real moment of clear-cut danger all match, but it proved to be enough.
To their credit, the Tigers pushed hard for a response and had the better of the ball down the stretch, forcing a save out of Jimenez through
Gustav Moberg (Borås, Sweden / Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet), a glaring miss at the near post by
Hodge MacDonald (Hertford, England / Haileybury) and working three second-half corners through
Cade Dougan (Austin, Texas / St. Stephens Episcopal) and Ferrer. Dougan picked up a caution of his own in the 79th minute as Trinity's frustration mounted, but despite the late pressure, the Tigers couldn't find a way through a resolute Stags backline.
Trinity finished with a 7-6 edge in shots and a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks, but managed just two shots on frame compared to CMS's three, unable to turn territorial control into a result.Â
Up Next
The No. 2 Tigers will look to bounce back on Sunday when they close out their California trip against the University of Redlands at 11:00 a.m. (PT).
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