WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Whitman College's women's soccer team chopped down the 15th-ranked Loggers from the University of Puget Sound behind Danielle Wieck's third goal of the year and a staunch defense that limited the visitors to just five shots in the Missionaries' 1-0 Northwest Conference triumph at the Whitman Athletic Fields Saturday afternoon.

Whitman maintained its unbeaten conference mark (4-0-2) while improving to a 6-2-2 record overall. The loss was Puget Sound's first league blemish and drops their records to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

The Loggers were able to register the first and last shots of the opening 45 minutes of action but neither required action from Whitman goalkeeper Haley Case as one shot was wide left of the frame while the other, in the final minute, sailed well above the crossbar.

In between those two attempts were several Whitman possessions that resulted in four shots. Brianna Brown's shot in the 15th was high but the Missionaries were able to regain possession quickly to drive down the left touch line. Lena de Guzman carried in deep then pressed inward drawing UPS goalie Lauren Thomas to the near post. A de Guzman cross toward the far post proved easy pickings for Wieck who simply blocked the soft pass with her upper body inside the right post behind Thomas for a 1-0 lead at the 18:55 mark.

de Guzman helped maintain the Whitman pressure with a high shot in the 30th and Jade Anderson caused more work for Thomas who came up with the stop in the 32nd.

Puget Sound was able to generate the first shot, again, in the second half but this one was blocked by a Whitman defender, harmlessly deflecting outside the box. Over the remainder of the game's second 45 minutes the Missionaries owned a 2-to-1 advantage in shots. Case was forced into action twice, in the 67th and 86th, but confidently came up with stops to show that it would take a great deal more from the Loggers if they were going to come up with the equalizer.

For the game Case finished with two saves in the win while Thomas took the loss for UPS after allowing the one goal and coming up with two stops herself.

Whitman carried a decided advantage in possession for most of the game, out shooting the Loggers 9-5 and disallowing any corner kick chances from the visitors while piling up five themselves.

The Missionaries, ranked No. 8 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's West Region rankings, return to action Sunday with a noontime visit from Pacific Lutheran University in another Northwest Conference match.