Box Score

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Whitman got an early first half goal from Jade Anderson and made it hold up in defeating Willamette, 1-0, in a Northwest Conference women's soccer match this afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields.
 
The victory improves the Missionaries' conference mark to 6-9 and overall record to 10-9. The Bearcats drop to 2-9-3 and 4-11-3.
 
"It was a hard fought match, "said Whitman head coach Heather Cato. "It was really nice to send the seniors out with a "W", and it was our first two-win weekend of the season. That was something we were shooting for. We know we can't win the conference but we can still keep winning games and battling for that senior class."
 
The match marked the final regular season home match for Whitman and, thus, was Senior Day, with each senior being recognized before the match.
 
The lone goal of the match came in the ninth minute when Kelsey Peck sent a corner that Anderson headed just inside the far pole, leaping into the air to make the shot. It was Anderson's second goal of the weekend and third of the year.
 
The Missionaries kept the pressure on the rest of the half; though they did not score, they outshot Willamette 6 to 1.
 
In the second half, the same theme continued as the Missionaries held an 11-4 advantage in shots -- for the match, they outshot the Bearcats 17-5. Seven were on-goal. Willamette fired three shots on target.
 
Emma Onstad-Hawes collected a pass in front of the goal but her shot slipped just wide of the post. Anderson headed another shot from point-blank range that was saved by the goalkeeper.  Late in the match Whitman took two corners where the ball bounded in front of the net and ricocheted off players before being cleared.
 
With less than two minutes remaining in the match, Willamette had its best chance to tie things up. The Bearcats were awarded a corner kick and Kellie Standish placed a ball enticingly in front of the net. Kelsey Keene headed the ball towards the goal but goalkeeper Emily Davis was there to make the save. Davis made 3 saves on the day in notching her ninth win of the season.
 
Coach Cato commented on the senior class: "This was a special class. This is the first class that, as a coach here, I have gone through all four years with. They're going to be missed tremendously, mostly for their leadership and their competitiveness. They're constantly making sure that everyone knows they are a part of this team, this family. This is more than team; this is a family."
 
Next Up: Whitman travels to George Fox to finish the season . . . the match is scheduled for this Friday at 11 am.
 
Contact:
Andrew Holt
Whitman Sports Information Director
holtac@whitman.edu
509.527.5902