FOREST GROVE, Ore, - The first road game in program history didn't create a new page in the history books as Whitman College's first-year lacrosse team wasn't able to get untracked in its 13-3 Northwest Conference loss to host league-leading Pacific (Ore.) University at Hanson Stadium.

Nina Henelsmith finished with a game-high six ground balls and starting goalkeeper Savannah McNichol came up with 11 saves for Whitman (1-4, 1-4 NWC) but Pacific (10-1, 5-0) reeled off 36 shots against McNichol and second-half goalie Katie Whittingham to keep the Missionaries' attack stuck at the restraining line in their half of the field.

The Boxers jumped in front with a quick goal only 62 seconds into the game but the Whitman defense steeled itself against the Pacific attack. It took 11 minutes for the home team to notch its second of the game, but it took only four more minutes for Whitman to respond.

Anna Melville scored her fourth goal of the year, coming at the 13:10 mark off an assist from Bea Sheffer, to half the Pacific lead and breathe life into Whitman's upset hopes.

Those hopes were dashed over the remaining minutes of the opening half as Pacific notched four unanswered goals to take a 6-1 lead into the halftime break, then tacked on a fifth straight in the early minutes of the second.

Lucy Skugstad halted the Pacific run at the 25:36 mark, scoring her eighth of the year to put an end to the Boxers' five-goal run.

Unfortunately Pacific retaliated with four more goals before Sheffer, the league's leader in goals per game, scored what would end up as Whitman's final goal of the game, tickling the netting behind Boxers goalie Adrienne Salzwedel on a free position shot with just under 15 minutes remaining.

The Missionaries limited Pacific to only two more goals over the final minutes after Sheffer's tally, but the damage had been done.

Pacific out shot Whitman by a count of 24-4 over the opening 30 minutes as it built its halftime lead. It also seemed as if every ground ball found its way into a Pacific crosse as the Boxers totaled 19 pick ups to just nine for Whitman before the half.

Whitman played a stronger second half -- finishing the second 30 minutes with a 10-8 edge in ground balls and nearly pulling even in shots at only a 12-11 deficit -- but the late first-half run by the Boxers proved to large of a hole to climb from.

The Missionaries will try to find their second win of the season Saturday when they travel to the University of Puget Sound to take on the host Loggers at noon.