WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Whitman's women's soccer team closed out its 2016 home schedule by lifting its senior class to a 3-0 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Lewis & Clark College Sunday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Complex fields.

Whitman (3-13-2, 3-9-2 NWC) won its second in a row with Sunday's victory while the Pioneers (5-12-1, 4-9-1) suffered their third consecutive loss.

The game's opening goal paired two of the six Whitman seniors on a nifty goal off a set piece, following an L&C hand ball in its own defensive third.

Elyse Laurin lined up behind the ball from about 35 yards out above the top left corner of the box and lofted her free kick into the box with just a slight arc.

Lena de Guzman stepped between a pair of L&C defenders and was able to reach out with her left leg for a small deflection that would redirect the trajectory past Pio goalkeeper Hannah Osmundson, who had committed to the original ball path off Laurin's foot.

Whitman had been out shot 4-2 prior to the play, but Laurin and de Guzman made that a moot point in the 37th minute.

The next shot in the game was just as opportunistic for Whitman as it doubled its advantage with an Eliza Van Wetter goal in the 41st.

An offside call had thwarted a solid scoring chance for Whitman two minutes earlier, but the Pios were unable to clear their end with the opportunity.

Van Wetter stepped into a loose ball just above the box and popped a soft shot up over the defense. Perfectly placed, the ball came down immediately in front of the crossbar but just above the gloved leap of Osmundson, giving Whitman a 2-0 lead that it was able to take into the intermission.

Lewis & Clark began the second half as it did the first, pressuring the Whitman defense but this time the pressure resulted in a hand ball call on a defender in the box, presenting the Pios with a penalty kick chance to halve their deficit at the 50:17 mark.

Caroline Hennes strode to the ball placed at the 12-yard hash and launched a hard shot toward the right side of the goal, but Whitman goalie Haley Case read the attempt correctly and made a diving save to keep the Pios off the scoreboard and preserve the shutout.

Seventeen minutes later it was Whitman's turn on the PK, after a hand ball call in the Pios' box.

This one was no contest as Chelsea Day pounded her attempt under the crossbar high into the netting to Osmundson's right, increasing Whitman's lead to 3-0 with 33 minutes to play.

Though Lewis & Clark racked up four more shots in those remaining minutes only one was on frame and Case easily plucked the ball out of the air for another save.
Prior to the game Whitman hosted a brief on-field ceremony to recognize its six seniors and their attending families.

Along with Case, Laurin and de Guzman, seniors Cassidy Brewin -- who started and played the opening half in goal -- Naomi Lee and Emma Onstad-Hawes were honored before playing their final home game at the Athletic Complex fields.

Whitman closes its season on the road in the Portland, Oregon, area, taking on host Linfield College Saturday afternoon before squaring off against Pacific University in the season finale Sunday at noon.