College Roundup : Master’s Trips Cal Lutheran in Soccer, 4-3

Angling for a berth in the national rankings after four consecutive victories, the Cal Lutheran men’s soccer team lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to The Master’s on Wednesday.

After holding a 3-2 lead late in the second half, host Cal Lutheran (4-3) blew a golden opportunity to break into the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics top 20 as 14th-ranked Master’s (6-3-2) rallied with two goals in the final 20 minutes.

“This was our most important game thus far,” said Cal Lutheran Coach George Kuntz, whose team is battling to be a top-seeded team in the District 3 playoffs. “Now it’s a battle for the second spot.”

Master’s dominated the first half, outshooting Cal Lutheran, 6-4, and repeatedly driving deep into opposing territory. But Cal Lutheran carried a 2-1 lead into the break.

A pair of freshmen, midfielder Kris Mills and forward Jesse Gallegos, each scored the first goal of their college careers.

Mills scored on a header off a cross-field pass from fellow freshman Dave Rinehart, and Gallegos added another goal minutes later to give the Kingsmen a 2-0 lead.

“In the first half our offense was very opportunistic,” Kuntz said. “Any chances they got they put away.”

Master’s finally developed a productive offense with three second-half goals. Junior midfielder Randy Whitfield scored twice, and senior forward Chris Bingman scored once. Chris Palm, a junior forward, added a pair of assists.

“At halftime I asked the guys to work harder out front,” Master’s Coach Mark Schubert said. “The whole first half we were camped out down there. Once we started working, we got good goals.”

Junior forward Larry Gidley of CLU tallied his team-leading fourth goal of the season in the second half, and senior midfielder Jim Rickard scored Master’s first goal.

--BRENDAN HEALEY

In another men’s soccer game:

Occidental 2, Redlands 1--Will Price and Aran Aleamoni scored to lift the host Tigers (2-3-2, 2-0-2) in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Occidental 3, Whittier 1--Jos Bergmann scored twice and Suzanne Oppenheimer scored once as the Tigers (1-5-1, 1-0) broke a scoreless halftime tie in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at Whittier.

GOLF

Nevada Reno Wolfpack tournament--Cal State Northridge’s Corby Segal, a freshman from Burbank High, fired rounds of 75 and 71 and was seventh after 36 holes at the par-72 Eagle Valley Country Club in Carson City, Nev. Larry Bull of Boise State shot 71-69 to lead the field.

VOLLEYBALL

La Verne d. Cal Lutheran 15-3, 15-5, 15-4--Regal Jen Larson had five kills in a nonconference match at La Verne. Cal Lutheran is 0-10; La Verne is 8-4.