SALEM, Ore.  Early action Saturday at Sparks Field hinted at an active, rolling scoreboard with a pair of goals posted in the game's initial eight minutes. But host Willamette University would score the only other goal, in the 82nd minute, to steal a 2-1 Northwest Conference men's soccer win from visiting Whitman College.

Soon after Willamette (8-6-1, 6-5-1 NWC) found the back of the net at the 6:16 mark, David Chavarin picked a great time to score his first collegiate goal for Whitman (8-6-4, 4-4-4) by answering with the equalizer 68 seconds later.

From that point forward, however, the lights on the scoreboard remained inactive -- despite strong attacking efforts from both squads -- until late in the game.

Willamette got off shots in the 77th and 80th minutes, sandwiched around a blocked shot from Whitman's Jacob Fritz, before coming up with the game-winner at the 81:43 mark on a score by the Bearcats' Diego Ochoa.

The back-and-forth even-ness of the contest was reflected in the final statistics.

Both teams generated seven corner kicks in a display of threatening possession in their respective attacking thirds. And both teams' net minders ended with a total of four saves on each side. Willamette had the advantage in total shots, but only with an 11-9 edge.

Ultimately, the winner and loser Saturday were likely going to be determined by one bounce or one deflection, and perhaps Willamette's first goal ended up being that lucky strike.

Jack Elton lined up to take a corner kick for the Bearcats, and sent his cross arcing in toward the front of the frame and well-placed between the posts. Whitman goalkeeper Jack Filipponi got up in the air for the deflection but his attempt wasn't secure enough and the resulting carom ended up crossing the goal line for the game's first score.

Late in the contest and seeking another equalizing goal both Paal Nilssen and Ridley Eastland-Fruit were able to get shots off for Whitman in the minutes after Ochoa's go-ahead tally, but neither shot found netting allowing Willamette to escape the threats and cling to its victory with the sound of the final horn.

Whitman will head to McMinnville, Oregon, for its next contest, Sunday afternoon at Linfield College in the penultimate game on the Whitman schedule.