LA VERNE, Calif. — Nathan Gonzalez scored on a penalty kick in the first half to put the University of La Verne men's soccer team in front but Chapman scored three unanswered goals in the second half to beat the Leopards, 3-1, on Wednesday night at Ortmayer Stadium.
It was a tale of two halves.
The Leopards dominated possession in the first half and earned the penalty kick when Chapman's Connor Tobia pushed Saul Uribe hard to the ground. Gonzalez didn't shoot the ball particularly hard but placed it well to give the Leopards a 1-0 lead.
La Verne's back line was solid once again in the opening half and gave up only one good opportunity to the Panthers. Boston Kimmel took a hard shot from about 20 yards out in the 10th minute but La Verne goalkeeper Darrin Bangle used all of his 5-foot-10 frame to jump and push it over the cross bar.
Second half was all Chapman. Cole Peters equalized less than three minutes out of the break and the Panthers started to put all kinds of pressure on the Leopards. In the 55th minute, Kimmel laid a corner kick off to a streaking Friedman and Friedman somehow found the back of the net through the legs of 10 different players to give the lead to Chapman. Chapman added an insurance goal in the 71st minute when Gino Belassen rocketed one in from just outside the penalty box.
La Verne falls to 10-3-0 overall and 6-3-0 in SCIAC play. Chapman improves to 6-4-3 and 5-3-1.
The Leopards will regroup and host Occidental on Saturday at 7 p.m.
