THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cal Lutheran men's soccer (2-9-5, 1-5-5) came up just short Wednesday night, falling 2-1 to Occidental College (8-5-4, 6-3-3) at William Rolland Stadium in a conference matchup under the lights.

Occidental struck first late in the opening half to take a 1-0 lead before the break. Despite several strong looks, including a shot from Kane Reese that rattled off the crossbar, the Kingsmen couldn't find the equalizer before halftime.

Cal Lutheran broke through early in the second half when Reese converted a penalty kick to tie the match at 1-1. The momentum was short-lived, however, as Occidental quickly answered with what proved to be the game-winning goal midway through the period.

The Kingsmen continued to push forward in the final minutes, generating multiple scoring chances, but the Tigers' defense held strong to preserve the result. Reese led Cal Lutheran with five shots, including three on target, while goalkeeper Isaak Tanaka tallied five saves to keep the Kingsmen within striking distance.

Both sides finished with 22 total shots, with Cal Lutheran holding a 10-7 edge in shots on goal. Despite the offensive pressure, the Kingsmen couldn't find the late breakthrough and fell narrowly, 2-1.

The Kingsmen will look to finish the regular season strong as they travel to Redlands on Saturday for their final conference matchup.