NEWBERG, Ore. – Whitman College's men's soccer recorded its second shutout in a row with Sunday afternoon's 2-0 Northwest Conference victory over host George Fox University at the Austin Sports Complex. The Missionaries picked up the game-winning goal from
Nathanael Fleming, one day after he registered the only goal in his team's Saturday victory.
The win Sunday improves Whitman's overall record to 5-4 and evens its conference mark at 2-2. George Fox drops to 2-6-1 overall and 0-4 in the league.
The home-standing Bruins generated the game's initial pressure, getting off a pair of shots in the sixth minute. The first was blocked by a Whitman defender and the second curled harmlessly wide of the post. George Fox added another shot early in the ninth minute and then its fourth two minutes later but the Missionaries would then hold the Bruins without a shot over the next 10 minutes.
The Whitman attack was on its heels early but began to reverse the field as the first half wore on. With a little more than four minutes remaining before halftime Fleming took a feed from
Jose Beleche and beat George Fox goalkeeper Ricardo Sotelo to move Whitman in front with what would eventually become the game-winning goal.
George Fox got off one more shot before the half but by then the tables had been turned. The Bruins would only generate two more shots the rest of the game following the intermission while the Whitman attack was heating up.
In the 71st minute
Park Harmon received a cross from
Riley Paul and buried a shot behind Sotelo for a two-goal advantage. The lead was never threatened after than as Whitman piled up a 15-2 edge in shots over the final 45 minutes.
Missionaries goalie
Niko Contos needed to make just one save in the contest, coming up with a stop at the 31:27 mark on the only shot to make it on frame during 90 minutes of action. By the time the final horn sounded Whitman owned a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal and a 23-13 edge in total shots.
Contos earned the win between the pipes for Whitman while Sotelo, with five saves, took the loss for the Bruins.
The Missionaries welcome a pair of Northwest Conference opponents to the Whitman Athletics Fields in their next outings, on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5. The University of Puget Sound (6-3-1, 3-1) visit Saturday with Pacific Lutheran University (6-4, 3-1) following on Sunday. Both games are slated for 2:30 p.m. contests following women's soccer games against the same opponents.
