CMS Women's Soccer Picks Up Big 2-1 Home Win over Chapman

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior Kira Favakeh broke a 1-1 tie with a goal with 13:34 remaining as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's soccer team solidified its SCIAC postseason hopes with a big 2-1 win over Chapman on Saturday morning at Pritzlaff Field.

The win improves CMS to 7-2-3 overall on the season and 3-2-2 in league play, moving into a tie with the Panthers, who suffered only their second loss of the year to fall to 7-2-3 and 3-2-2 in conference. 

After a scoreless first half, CMS took the lead just 7:13 into the second stanza when senior midfielder Rhiann Holman played a ball up the right side to senior forward Sarah Tocher to start a 3-on-2 break. Tocher then laid a ball across the top of the 18 to senior midfielder Gabby Clouse, who gathered it and then placed a shot from 10 yards out inside the upper-right corner to give CMS the 1-0 lead. 



Chapman had an answer, though, when it earned a corner kick from the right side of the field. Emmie Farber took the kick and bent a cross towards the top of the six-yard box, where center back Faith Holloway got on the back end and snapped a header into the left side of the net with 23:16 to go. 

CMS rotated its starting attacking players back in after the tying goal, and the move paid dividends as the Athenas used some quick passing to set up the game-winner. First-year midfielder Mia Durancyzk played a ball to Tocher, who was cutting from the right side of the field towards the middle, and Tocher one-touched the ball to Favakeh, who was making a run up the left side. Favakeh broke into the box alone and bent a shot inside the right post to put CMS back in front 2-1 with 13:34 left. 

"I knew we need a goal, and I actually had just come out of a very similar play where I kind of turned around," said Favakeh of her game-winner. "I knew I should have taken that shot, so when I was coming up the outside of the box with the same opportunity, I just let it go and it went in."  

The Athenas still needed to overcome some late Chapman pressure to hold on for the win, including two more dangerous corner kicks from Farber. Junior goalie Cam Hamson punched the first one away in traffic in front of the goal line, and then pulled in the second one after a deflection popped up into the air just inside the six-yard box. CMS then was able to get the ball down to the offensive end of the field, where it killed most of the final two minutes down near the corner flag. 

Hamson had five saves in relief in the 14th minute after starter Athena Manthouli suffered a minor injury in a collision inside the box after making her second save. Kelsey Bland had eight saves for Chapman in an even contest which saw both teams take 16 shots.

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Caltech for a 4 p.m. contest.