Bois shut down Chapman’s late offensive push with a last-minute save while Butler dominated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with seven scoreless innings.
Neah Bois
Neah Bois (senior) had eight saves and four ground balls in a lacrosse game at Chapman University Feb. 20, where Occidental won 10–9. Despite a late offensive run by Chapman in the final three minutes of the game that brought them within a goal of the Tigers, Bois was able to stave off the Panthers and come up with a save off of a free-position shot in the last minute of play.
“I think in that last minute, I couldn’t think about the score,” Bois said. “I just had to focus in and say ‘Make that step, use that top hand, see the ball, and have confidence in what I’m going to do.’”
Bois said a significant confidence boost came from the first challenge of the game, which was a free-position shot she managed to save. From then on out, Bois credited her defense for making her job easier by playing both cohesively and assertively.
“Our defense was playing so well in the first half,” Bois said. “To only give up three goals is huge, and a lot of that came from them forcing shots that were easy for me to save or having me be in positions where I could save it. I think our preparation, for our defensive squad especially, [was] expect the unexpected, play hard, and play for the full 60 minutes.”
Fellow goalkeeper Katherine Drake (junior) recognized the drive and intensity Bois brings to the field as well as the consideration she has for the well-being of her teammates.
“Neah brings a lot of character, energy and positivity to the team,” Drake said. “She’s always working hard and always making sure everyone is taking care of themselves. She also exemplifies putting in 100 percent every day, on and off the field.
As Chapman went on a two-goal run in the last three minutes of the game, Bois said maintaining focus and staying in the moment was critical to coming up with a big save.
“I think the hardest thing for a goalie of any sport is you have to stay very calm and almost emotionless,” Bois said. “So even though I knew Chapman had just scored one or two times, and they were feeling pretty good, I was like ‘Nope, those two goals didn’t matter, this one is what matters, and I’m going to make the save.’”
Bois is a Comparative Studies in Literature & Culture major and Politics and classical studies double minor, and her favorite Eagle Rock eatery is Delia’s Restaurant.
Tom Butler
Tom Butler (junior) had four strikeouts, allowed one hit and zero runs in a baseball game against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College (CMS) team, which Occidental beat 2–0 Feb. 16. Butler pitched seven scoreless innings in his first start of the season, and after coming in as a relief pitcher in a game against Willamette University Feb. 10, he said he was eager for the opportunity to start for Occidental.
“I think it was good building confidence in myself, that CMS … they’re a league team, but they’re a good team in general, they can hit pretty well,” Butler said. “So knowing that I can pitch against better teams and be successful in it, as well as have my teammates trust in me that I can get the job done when I’m called on to pitch whether that be starting or relief.”
According to Butler, transitioning from relief to starting required him to concentrate on stretching his focus for consecutive innings and rely on the foundational work he had done in the months leading up to the season.
“Mentally, being able to trust my preparation, all the work that we’ve put in as a team, and not try to force it into what I think needs to happen but just trust my pitches, and trust that I can throw to spots, get hitters to ground out,” Butler said.
Head baseball coach Luke Wetmore attributed Butler’s strong start this season to the extra work he has dedicated to refining his craft over the past two years, demonstrating a desire to reach peak performance as an upperclassman. Wetmore said that as a junior, Butler has entered the season with an enhanced sense of composure, putting him at an advantage to stay locked in through continuous innings of pitching.
“Really, talent matters, but maturity and consistency are two of the elements that you have to get in order to be successful over the long haul in baseball, and we’re starting to see that from him more and more often, that he’s calm when it matters,” Wetmore said. “He’s calmer, more mature, more secure, understands who he is and what he needs to do to be successful.”
Upon reflecting on his offseason training, Butler said he hopes to continue to be a meaningful contributor to the starting pitching rotation throughout the rest of the season.
“As one of the upperclassmen pitchers, I want to take on a very big role for the pitching staff,” Butler said. “So just going out there and being someone you can rely on every day and putting myself in the best position to win for my teammates and team.”
Wetmore concurred that Butler is well-suited for the task and said that his hard work ethic is an influential part of his team presence.
“I think he cares about his teammates, cares about doing the right thing, on and off the field,” Wetmore said. “Through the whole thing, that’s been a constant for him, so it hasn’t been an off-the-field maturity thing, it’s been more of a maturity as a baseball player.”
Butler is a kinesiology major and physics minor, and his favorite off-campus dinner destination is Ramen of York.
