SALEM, Ore.  The 1-1 double-overtime draw Whitman and host Willamette University played to Saturday afternoon at Sparks Field ended the way it perhaps deserved to, though neither team would walk away happy with the result in their Northwest Conference men's soccer battle.

Each team generated a total of 11 shots apiece through 110 minutes of action. Both Whitman (4-7-2, 3-3-2 NWC) and Willamette (7-3-2, 6-0-2) have recorded more shots in a half at least once this season.

And of the 11 shots the Blues and Bearcats aimed toward the opposing frame? Whitman goalkeeper Owen Davis-Bower needed to come up with only two saves, while at the other end Marco Gonzalez-Yanez finished without a save -- getting help from his teammates who stepped in for two saves that had gotten behind the Bearcat goalie.

In the game's 20th minute the Blues' Jadon Bachtold slipped one behind Gonzalez-Yanez only to have a Willamette defender sweep away the potential tally. And early in the first overtime Whitman's Jacob Fritz suffered through the same team-save fate as had Bachtold.

The first marker of the game came via a fluke touch. A long Bearcat throw-in from the touch line into the box deflected off a Whitman defender and caromed into the bottom right corner.

The way the two teams' defenses were playing, that goal in the 69th looked as if it could be a game-winner.

But eight minutes later action picked up again in an attacking third, this time with Austin Betschart driving a low cross into the area in front of the Willamette goal where Peter Stephens was able to re-direct it behind Gonzalez-Yanez for the equalizer.

Fritz's shot in the initial 10-minute overtime period would amount to the best scoring opportunity either team would register the remainder of the afternoon.

The draw allowed Willamette to hold onto the top spot in the league standings, while preventing the Blues from moving up the conference ladder.

Whitman is back in action Sunday afternoon at Linfield College for another conference outing.