WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Whitman College's men's soccer team piled up three goals over an outmatched squad from George Fox University Saturday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields, downing the visiting Bruins 3-0 in a Northwest Conference match. Austin Betschart notched the game-winning goal late in the first half for the home team.

The win lifts Whitman's record to 3-1-1 within the league and 7-3-1 overall. George Fox drops to 1-4 and 1-8-1, respectively.

Betschart's tally, his second of the year, came early in the 44th minute. Ben Freedman gained possession above the right corner of the penalty box and worked left, seeing Betschart working past his defender on the other side. Freedman's diagonal pass fed a breaking Betschart inside the box and his left foot took care of the rest, beating Fox goalkeeper Ricardo Sotelo inside the left post to light up the scoreboard.

Despite getting out shot 8-7 in the half Whitman toted that one-goal lead into the halftime break. George Fox generated a few scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes, forcing Whitman goalie Owen Davis-Bower to come up with saves on each of the three Bruins shots that made it on frame.

The second half was dominated by Whitman as it piled up 16 shots while surrendering just one. There was break upon break for Whitman in the final 45, leaving one with the thought of when, not if another shot would find its way behind Sotelo.

Sure enough, in the 79th Whitman's Erik Nielsen dispossessed a Fox defender trying to clear from his defensive end, gaining possession above the top, right corner of the box. Nielsen deked one defender and drove hard to the end line, breaking in toward the goal to draw Sotelo his way. Meanwhile, Collin Faunt had worked goalside of his defender, breaking in toward the top of the goal box behind Sotelo. Nielsen's feed found Faunt for an easy touch into the netting before another defender could close in and prevent the shot.

Late in the game Whitman added its third score, on nearly an identical play, right to left then behind Sotelo, with Freedman feeding Eric Conte for his fourth marker of the season.

Jack Filipponi had taken over for Davis-Bower between the pipes to start the second half but went untested, as did Aidan Nuttall who relieved Filipponi for the final three minutes and 33 seconds.

The Whitman victory, coupled with Whitworth University's double-overtime loss at the same time Saturday in Spokane, Washington, leaves the Whit's tied with Whitworth atop the conference standings.

Whitman puts that position on the line in its next outing, a league match-up against visiting Pacific (Ore.) University at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.