WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The two-player stampede of Lindsay Schwartz and Bea Sheffer on the attack was too much for visiting University of Puget Sound to handle Saturday afternoon as the duo combined for all but two of host Whitman College's goals in a 17-5 romp over the Loggers in Northwest Conference women's lacrosse action at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

The win by the Missionaries (1-1, 1-0 NWC) in their season home opener avenges a pair of losses to Puget Sound (0-3, 0-1) last spring when Whitman fielded its first varsity women's lacrosse team.

Most times it just seemed like there weren't enough defenders to slow down either Schwartz or Sheffer. With one on one side of the attacking zone and the other on the opposite side it usually became a pick-your-poison choice for the Loggers defense. Whitman cycled its attack around the cage and goalkeeper Leah Stromberg until finally Schwartz or Sheffer would catch their defender too far outside, allowing a quick step outside then in or a spin dodge toward the center and a free lane toward an oftentimes helpless Stromberg. Schwartz, only a first-year, finished the day with nine goals and Sheffer, a senior, notched six.

Anna Melville and Emily Jordan each scored one apiece for the victorious Whitties who equaled a single-game program high for goals, set last season on the road at Linfield College.

Puget Sound actually got on the board first with an unassisted goal from Meghan Bacher not quite two minutes into the first half. But a win on the ensuing draw control by Schwartz led to a sizzling break down the middle of the attacking third for her, culminating in a tying goal after only a 10-second deficit.

Kerri Smith found the back of the net on a free-position shot for the Loggers in the fourth minute to give Puget Sound another lead but that advantage would disappear, and then some, with Schwartz's second tally of the afternoon. Her sixth of the season and second of the game sparked an 8-0 run over an 18-minute span that basically finished off the Loggers with six minutes remaining in the opening half.

Schwartz scored five of those goals with Sheffer adding the other three in the unanswered streak that helped carry Whitman to a 10-4 lead at the halftime break.

From the defensive standpoint, Dana Casterella came up with a game-best four ground balls and tied for game-high caused turnover honors with three. Sheffer for Whitman and Smith, who had two goals, for UPS also forced three turnovers.

The team statistics totals displayed how commanding the second-year Missionaries were as they came away with a 19-5 edge in draw controls, a 40-9 shots advantage, a 13-9 edge in caused turnovers and a gargantuan 24-10 lead in ground ball pickups. Adding to the signs of a dominant and disciplined Whitman squad was the surrendering of only three free-position shots in the contest.

Stromberg did finish with 10 saves for UPS in the loss but she was too often left one-on-one against a charging Missionary throughout the afternoon. At the other end of the field starter Savannah McNichol (1-1) earned the win in the cage for Whitman after coming up with one save in the first half, and teammate Kate Whittingham closed out the game taking over after the intermission and picking up three saves and a ground ball.

Sunday brings another conference opponent to Walla Walla in George Fox University (0-1, 0-0 NWC) for a 12 p.m. contest at the Athletic Fields.