WALLA WALLA, Wash. – One half of Saturday afternoon's Northwest Conference women's lacrosse match-up had a team in its 10th season pitted against a team in only its third game in program history. Seasoning won out over youthful exuberance as visiting University of Puget Sound downed host Whitman College, 17-6, on a sunny but blustery day at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

The Loggers (7-3, 2-2 NWC) notched the first five goals of the contest before Whitman (1-2, 1-2) would get off its second shot of the game. But the Missionaries finally got the ball rolling with a Hannah Trettenero goal at the 15:01 mark. The tally was Trettenero's fourth of the season and was assisted by Nina Henelsmith.

Two more unanswered goals -- both on free position attempts, one from Bea Sheffer and the other from Sarah Edwards -- forced the Loggers to call a timeout in an attempt to slow the onrushing home team.

Nonetheless Whitman was still able to win the ensuing draw control after Edwards' goal, which made the score 5-3, and earn another free position attempt. This one was turned away, and six minutes later Puget Sound would add to its total with what would be the first of eight consecutive goals that spanned the end of the first half and the opening 11 minutes of the second half.

A goal by Sheffer and two from Lucy Skugstad were spread out over the game's final 18 minutes but that wouldn't be enough to rally the Missionaries in their upset bid.

"I know we won the battle of draw controls and out shot (Puget Sound) in the second half," said head coach Kate Robinson, "but there were too many little things -- defensive footwork, better timing of our passes leading to shots, for example -- that hindered us today.

"The thing is, those items are problems we can fix in practice, and I believe we'll see some different outcomes on the field when we play at their place next weekend," Robinson added.

Whitman did indeed finish with a 13-12 advantage on draw controls, and it out shot the Loggers 11-10 over the final 30 minutes. But Puget Sound raced out to its 9-3 halftime lead behind a 25-12 edge in shots and 16-9 advantage in ground ball pickups over the game's initial 30 minutes.

Starting goalkeeper Savannah McNichol came up with 11 saves in the first half before giving way to Katie Whittingham, who added two saves, at the start of the second in Robinson's early-season platoon between the pipes.

Sheffer and Skugstad each scored twice for Whitman to share the lead on the attack. Defensively, Sheffer and Jade Anderson came up with three ground balls each while Anderson and Henelsmith both finished with one caused turnover.

Puget Sound was led on the attack by Caroline Cook's six goals, and on defense by Lauren Stuck and Callie Holgate who came up with four ground balls and three caused turnovers, respectively.

The Missionaries will regroup overnight and return back to the Athletic Fields Sunday for a league contest against visiting Pacific (Ore.) University starting at noon.