Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – Lena de Guzman notched the game's first goal and goalkeeper Haley Case registered six saves Saturday afternoon against the University of California Santa Cruz attack, but the Whitman College women's soccer team fell one goal short in a 2-1 non-conference loss to the Banana Slugs on Omache Field in the season-opening Whitworth Classic.

Whitman (1-1) pushed to the early lead over UCSC (1-0-1) when de Guzman slotted a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal, beating Banana Slugs goalie Gabby Trujillo late in the sixth minute of the game. Emma Onstad-Hawes earned the assist on the goal.

Santa Cruz was able to pull even 10 minutes later on a Sara Sadler goal, then broke in front in the 33rd when a crossing pass from the Banana Slugs' Taylor Keenan was mishandled at the goal line and rolled across the line to provide UCSC what would end up being the game-winning marker.

Case was active in the second half for Whitman as the sophomore, making her third career start between the pipes, registered stops on three consecutive Santa Cruz shots between the 47th and 55th minutes, then added another save early in the 70th to keep the Missionaries within one score.

Naomi Lee got off a shot on frame for Whitman in the 84th and a de Guzman shot two minutes later was blocked by a UCSC defender as the Missionaries searched for the equalizer. The tying goal, however, would elude head coach Laura Williamson's squad, posting the first mark in the loss column of Whitman's 2014 season.

Case finished the day with six saves while Trujillo earned the win for her Banana Slugs with three saves on the day.

In a strange scheduling twist, the Missionaries next take to the pitch at Santa Cruz in early September when Whitman will take on Whittier (Calif.) College on Sept. 7 and then Cal Lutheran University the next day in UCSC's Slugfest Tournament.