In 90 minutes of disciplined defense and back-and-forth attacking on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) women’s soccer team and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athenas ended their second edition of the Sixth-Street matchup in a 0-0 deadlock after the Hens’ 1-0 victory on Sept. 24.
Throughout the game, both teams were active on offense, but the rivalry showcased rock-solid defenses that ultimately thwarted attacking efforts. As a testament to the evenness of the two teams, the Hens and the Athenas had an almost identical number of shot totals — 11 and 12, respectively.
Both teams have started the season strong; P-P entered the game undefeated with an 11-0-2 record. CMS boasted a similarly confident 12-2-1 record. Given their early success, both teams knew the importance of game planning before the match.
“It was obviously a really big game against a really good team,” P-P captain Hannah Hong PO ’26 said. “They’re ranked, so we definitely prepared a lot coming into the game. We came off a win against them, but we didn’t want that to get in our heads, so we really wanted to train hard this past weekend.”
P-P coach Jennifer Scanlon further stressed the importance of the Hens’ pre-game preparation and their mentality in setting the team up for success.
“We prepared by really talking through our tactics and game plan,” Scanlon said. “The rest of it is that it is obviously a big game, so we had to bring focused energy and not get too overwhelmed with the excitement and all the rivalry stuff.”
Both teams made adjustments and traded blows on offense, with coaching staffs strategizing around their opponents’ familiar strengths and weaknesses in an attempt to find the breakthrough.
“It was a chess match for sure,” Scanlon said. “They made adjustments at halftime, and so did we. We know the coaching staff very well. They used to coach here. These are two teams that are very, very similar and have a lot of really good soccer players that play with a similar style of good defense and great attacking.”
“It was a chess match for sure,” Scanlon said. “They made adjustments at halftime, and so did we. We know the coaching staff very well.”
Goalkeeper Hadley Johnson PO ’26 shared this mutual respect, explaining that luck wasn’t on their side despite the adjustments they made throughout the game.
“I think we had a good offense,” Johnson said. “We got a little unlucky and didn’t score, but credit to their defense. They’re a good team. We definitely tried to change our formation a couple of times and tried to just keep our energy positive on the field.”
This sentiment was echoed by CMS forward Sena Howell SC ’28. For her, this game continued the team’s resilient efforts, staying undefeated since suffering early losses to P-P and Cal Lutheran back-to-back in September.
“I think we played really well,” Howell said. “There were a few games where we were not playing like ourselves, but we were kind of getting that back, and we really showed that today.”
Despite a promising offensive performance with four shots on goal, Hong wished her team had capitalized on their opportunities more throughout the game.
“We tried to come in with new tactics and information, and I think we executed well,” Hong said. “I think we could have done a little better in the final third. We had some good chances, but we weren’t able to finish all of them. I think in the second half it got better, but they’re a good team.”
After the goalless draw, the Sagehens are still undefeated at 11-0-3, while the Athenas trail closely behind with a record of 12-2-2, sitting at 1st and 3rd place in SCIAC, respectively.
Moving forward, both teams are looking to learn from this game and apply the lessons on a potential rematch in the postseason.
“If we face them again in the postseason or SCIAC tournament, I’m even more motivated to get the win,” Hong said.
Both teams will return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 25. P-P will face the Occidental Tigers away, a rematch following their 1-1 tie on Sept. 20. CMS will face the Cal Lutheran Regals, a chance to avenge their 0-1 loss on Sept. 20.
Both with near-perfect records, the Hens and the Athenas hope to build on their momentum in the SCIAC title race.