Box Score
WALLA WALLA, Wash -- The Whitman men's soccer team got a last-second goal in the second overtime to beat Pacific Lutheran this afternoon 1-0. Junpei Tsuji received a pass from Reid Shaw with just ticks left on the clock and booted a low ball from about 15 yards out that got past the diving goalkeeper.
 
The dramatic win improves the Missionaries conference mark to 4-3-1 and overall record to 5-7-2. The Lutes fall to 4-2-2 and 9-2-3.
 
It looked as though the match would end in a scoreless tie. With the clock winding down to single digits, Whitman goalkeeper Niko Contos launched a long goal kick deep into PLU's side of the field. Shaw corralled the kick, then, sent a centering pass to Tsuji who wound up and knocked in the winner, his teammates mobbing him as soon as the ball eluded the diving Joe Rayburn, PLU's goalkeeper.
 
Although the match saw only one goal, Whitman was knocking on the door the entire second half and the two overtimes. The Missionaries outshot the Lutes 27 to 7. Whitman put eleven shots on-goal to PLU's one.
 
"I thought our pressure all game was phenomenal, "said Whitman head coach Mike Washington after the match, "but to leave it until there was two ticks left on the clock . . . we didn't plan it that way. I am totally excited for the team. They really deserved it. They worked really hard (for this win)."
 
The scoreless first half saw the two teams go up-and-down the field, each having scoring chances but not point-blank shots, except for an excellent opportunity for the Whits late in the half. Forward Chris Perkins headed a lofted pass right in front of the goal. Goalkeeper Rayburn dove to his left and deflected the ball away. Whitman's Marcos Medina gathered in the loose ball and followed with a shot that was blocked by PLU's defense. The ball was cleared and the threat was over.
 
In the second half, Rayburn was under siege (he made 10 saves on the day) but was up to the task. Whitman's Medina broke through and was one-on-one with Rayburn, but his shot was scooped up by the goalkeeper. Bridger Sellegren cranked a cork screw from about 15 yards away that Rayburn caught in his mitts.
 
In the first overtime, Tsuji lofted a ball off a free kick right in front of the goal. Cooper Schumacher headed the ball toward the upper part of the net but Rayburn blocked it over the bar.
 
In the second OT, neither team had a good look at the net until Shaw found Tsuji.
 
"The whole object of the way we play is to just go at people, "said Washington. "We want to be relentless; we want to push everyone to the limit. And I think we did that today. We've done that all season long and today we got rewarded for it."
 
Next Up: the Missionaries host Puget Sound tomorrow at 2:30 pm.

Box Score

Contact:
Andrew Holt
Whitman Sports Information Director
holtac@whitman.edu
509.527.5902