WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- With the temperature approaching 100 degrees, the Whitman College women's soccer team opened its season with a 2-1 victory over Pomona-Pitzer Friday afternoon in Claremont, Calif.

Junior forward Corina Gabbert booted both goals for Whitman, and junior keeper Courtney Porter made a pair of big saves in the second half to preserve the Missionary victory.

"All things considered, with the heat and first-game excitement, it was great to get a win on the road against a good team," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "We kept players cycling in and out. We used everyone who was healthy, except for the back-up goalkeepers."

Gabbert, who earned All-Northwest Conferece First-Team honors last fall, notched her first goal at the 9:30 mark of the first half. After Alisa Larson-Xu, a senior midfielder, sent a pass just inside the 18-yard box, Gabbert beat Pomona-Pitzer's keeper to the ball and nudged the sphere softly toward the open net.

"It was a long, dramatic moment," Shields said. "The ball must have rolled along for 12 yards."

The Sagehens struck back in a hurry, scoring less than four minutes later. "One of their forwards got loose for an open shot from close range," Shields said.

The scoring frenzy continued with 19 minutes off the clock when Gabbert scored again, this time taking a long pass from first-year forward Amy Hasson and drilling a 12-yard scoring strike.

That was it for the scoring, however.

Porter, who earned second-team all-conference honors last fall, made two "huge" saves in the second half to keep the Missionaries on top. "With about 20 minutes left in the game, Courtney got her hands up just in time to knock a bullet over the crossbar," Shields said. "Then, with less than 10 minutes left, she picked another blistering shot out of the air."

Porter finished with seven saves against 13 shots. Whitman took nine shots at the offensive end, putting three on goal.

Senior Sarah Nostdal and sophomore Kate Newman also had big games for the Whitman defense.  "Sarah was strong and aggressive in the middle," Shields said. "She gave us a big presence in the back, and then Kate helped shut down their best forward in the second half."

Both Larson-Xu and junior Liz Forbes played well in the Missionary midfield, Shields said. 

The Missionaries stay in Claremont on Saturday for a 2 p.m. neutral-field battle with the College of Saint Benedict (St. Joseph, Minn.). Temperatures on Saturday are expected to shoot past the 100-degree mark, Shields said. 

Box score 

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu