WALLA WALLA, Wash.  The second half provided a glimpse of what Whitman women's soccer is capable of.

The key, Blues head coach Laura Williamson said, is self-belief.

"The moment we figure out how to play consistently at a high level," she said, "we're going to be a scary team to face."

That moment came after halftime on Sunday. It was too late to overcome a difficult first half, as Whitman fell 3-1 to the University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference match at the Whitman Athletic Fields. But the evidence of potential was undeniable in a second half that made the earlier lethargy seem like an illusion.

"We were moving off the ball," said Williamson. "We were working off our energy. We were finding gaps and connecting passes.

"Even in the last 20 minutes of the first half," she added. "It is hard, when you're losing games, to step onto the pitch with confidence. Somehow, these kids need to figure out that they can play."

The Blues (1-8-1, 1-4-1 in NWC) conceded a goal by Genevieve Cheatham following a turnover at midfield just four minutes into the match, then another (by Jacquelyn Anderson) two minutes later. When Tayla MacPherson tallied on a prodigious blast from distance, 28 minutes in, it seemed that a blowout was possible.

But Whitman emerged from recess reinvigorated. Jaclyn DuBois and Elizabeth Fix set the tone with fearless challenges. Sofia Ellington and Camille Marshall fired shots on goal.

"We played our game in the second half," Williamson said.

Whitman's renewed energy and ball pressure finally paid dividends with 16 minutes to play. Kenz Tierney played a perfectly-weighted ball into the box as Emily Rigsby blew past a UPS defender to corral it, then blast her first goal of the season.

The Blues out-shot the Loggers 3-1 in the second half.

Whitman visits Whitworth at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.