Sydney Tomlinson (senior) had 11 saves in a soccer game between Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer Oct. 3. Tomlinson was able to lead the defense so the Tigers could put one in the net in the 71st minute. The Tigers left Pomona with a win and a first place ranking. This was the fifth game in a row where Tomlinson has recorded a shutout, bringing her save percentage up to .950, the highest in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
According to head coach Colm McFeely, Tomlinson has played an integral role for the Tigers over the last four years, playing over 600 minutes each season. As a senior and a captain, she is putting up her best numbers yet; she already has 45 saves and seven shutouts for the season.
“Syd is so consistent, I think we actually take it for granted,” McFeely said. “We rarely, if ever, question that she will perform in games and train to her own highest standards.”
Despite Tomlinson’s outstanding individual performance, she cites her teammates’ willingness to step up with a newfound tenacity as the reason for their success so far this season.
“We always want to get better and do better, and right now we are really capitalizing on our opportunities and we just have that grit to win, so I am just really proud,” Tomlinson said.
According to her teammates, Tomlinson sets the standard of hard work every day and is always trying to get better.
“We would not be anywhere near as successful as we have been without Syd,” midfielder Berkli Maningo (junior) said. “Beyond just the fact that she is super talented, she leads by example with how much she pushes herself every day and how dedicated she is to the team.”
According to Tomlinson, it is knowing her teammates believe in her that gives her the confidence to make big plays come game time.
“I’m gaining more confidence than I have in the past couple of years, so I think that is what has made the difference for me personally,” Tomlinson said. “But honestly, it’s just knowing that my team has my back and that they believe in me.”
McFeely echoed Tomlinson’s sentiment about her confidence and abilities this season.
“Sydney has matured and I actually think the captaincy and leadership roles have played into her performance level,” McFeely said. “She is an exceptional goalkeeper; brave and selfless.”
According to Tomlinson, the Tigers are just trying to take it one game at a time and focus on each new team as they come. Ultimately, she is looking to make it to the SCIAC playoffs in hopes of playing a postseason game under the lights at Jack Kemp Stadium.
The first person Tomlinson would call after a win would be her twin brother, Paul, with her mom next in line.
Matthew Teplitz (sophomore) scored one of two goals in a soccer game at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Sept. 29. The goal was the first of the game, setting the stage for an Occidental win against the previously-undefeated CMS.
“A great week of practice led to a very focused execution of our game plan, and we got the result we wanted,” Teplitz said. “Scoring first was huge, and scoring so early on was also huge.”
According to Teplitz, the immediate intensity that Occidental brought to the field from the first whistle was crucial, as the pressure applied to the defensive line of CMS provided a goal-scoring opportunity within the first three minutes.
“We knew that if we defended well and were organized and talked, that it would be pretty tough to break us down,” Teplitz said. “Even though my foot hit the ball last before it went in, it was the work of five other people that went into it.”
Head coach Rod Lafaurie said Teplitz’s quick goal set the tone for the rest of the match and demonstrated Occidental’s ability to dominate the pace.
“His goal gave us a great start, brought further belief into the team and allowed us to immediately impose our will on the game,” Lafaurie said.
Teplitz credited his teammates for the goal and said that although the attacking mindset was apparent throughout the game, maintaining a rock-solid defense allowed the team to finish out the battle.
“Offensively, we played pretty well, but defensively was where we were super solid,” Teplitz said. “It was just a whole team effort.”
Lafaurie also said that the fast pace of play that Teplitz adds to Occidental’s front line is helpful in creating scoring chances.
“Likely the first thing people notice is his speed, and it’s certainly a great attribute that he brings us,” Lafaurie said. “We have an up-tempo brand of play called ‘Oxy Ball,’ and Matt is a big contributor to this specific style.”
Both goals were scored off of free kicks, with Ben Simon (junior) putting away a set piece in the 71st minute. This was promising to Teplitz, who said that being able to capitalize on set pieces is of the utmost importance to Occidental.
“Those are the things that, in the past, we haven’t really had, where a free kick goes our way or we score on a corner,” Teplitz said. “And to get two of those in the same game against a nationally-ranked team was huge.”
Teplitz is a Diplomacy and World Affairs major and when he was younger, he wanted to be a professional basketball player.
