WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Whitman College's women's lacrosse team continues to be agonizingly close to the program's second win, this time falling short by a scant two goals in a 15-13 Northwest Conference loss to visiting Pacific (Ore.) University on a sun-drenched Sunday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

Winners in the programs initial game of the season the Missionaries (1-3, 1-3 NWC) had the momentum in the final 90 seconds of Sunday's game against the Boxers (8-1, 3-0), scoring a pair of goals within 21 seconds of each other to pull within two before adding another in the final minute that was waived off because of a crease violation.

Lucy Skugstad scored the final three goals for Whitman and finished tied with Bea Sheffer for team leaders on the attack with five goals apiece. Hannah Trettenero added two goals and Nina Henelsmith scored once and added one assist.

"We fought back from some early troubles and were in this game at the end," said head coach Kate Robinson. "Maybe we just ran out of time, but Pacific did earn this victory. I think how we finished here today, though, will make our next game [at Pacific on Friday] very interesting."

The Boxers broke in front quickly scoring just 19 seconds after the opening draw control. They added two more goals over the next six minutes before Skugstad would score her first of the day on an unassisted marker at the 21:13 mark of the first half.

Pacific stretched its advantage to three goals just past the midpoint of the half but Sheffer and Henelsmith went back-to-back for Whitman to trim the deficit to just one. A pair of Boxer goals again pushed their lead back to three but again Whitman was able to answer as Trettenero and Skugstad scored consecutively to bring the Missionaries to within one goal at 7-6 with a little less than nine minutes before the half.

The next six minutes is where the game got away from Whitman as Pacific notched four straight goals to take what seemed to be a safe 11-6 lead.,The Missionaries had something to say about that, however, as Sheffer scored 69 seconds before the half then added another five minutes into the second half to steal back the momentum.

Trettenero's second of the game followed Sheffer's double-dip and what had seemed like a solid lead for a program in its ninth season had the Boxers suddenly trying to fend off a hard-charging first-year program.

Experience paid off for Pacific as it received a pair of unanswered goals from its senior captain, Amy Mayhugh, to extend the lead to four again. The teams traded goals twice over the next four minutes before Skugstad's fourth and fifth tallies in the contest made it only a two-goal deficit with 75 seconds left on the game clock.

Henelsmith won the draw control after the last goal by Skugstad and the Missionaries raced down field for another chance. Sheffer received a short pass from Henelsmith and quickly weaved her way through the last few defenders toward the Pacific goal and after getting a close-in look fired off a shot with 59 ticks remaining that beat the goalkeeper to the bottom right corner -- but Sheffer's momentum carried her through the crease, nullifying the goal and allowing Pacific to gain possession with which it succeeded on one final clearing attempt and ran out the clock.

The teams finished even on draw controls, 15-15, and were within one shot of each other as Pacific registered 28 while Whitman finished with 27. One area in which the Boxers established a telling advantage was from the 8-meter line as they converted 9-of-10 free-position shots compared to Whitman's 5-for-9 day.

The Whitman tandem of starter Savannah McNichol and Katie Whittingham combined for seven saves. Whittingham contributed all five of her saves over the final 30 minutes of action. At the other end, Pacific's Adrienne Salzwedel earned the win after coming away with nine saves.

Amy Mayhugh led a triumvirate of Boxers that combined for 13 of the team's 15 goals. She finished with five while getting help from Meg Chapman and April Lanz who contributed four apiece.

Robinson and her charges will head to Forest Grove, Oregon, for Friday's game at Pacific followed by a trip up the coastline to Tacoma, Washington, where it will square off against host University of Puget Sound Saturday afternoon.