SPOKANE, Wash.  Visiting Whitman College continued its progress at generating scoring opportunities, out shooting host Whitworth University, but the Pirates were able to hold off the Blues' second-half challenge which allowed the home team to escape with a 1-0 Northwest Conference women's soccer victory Wednesday afternoon at the Whitworth Soccer Field.

Whitman (1-9-1, 1-5-1 NWC) has steadily improved in generating greater pressure in its attacking third with Wednesday's action personifying that feat. Sophie Brussell blasted the first shot of the game, early in the 13th minute, but Whitworth (7-3-1, 6-0-1) goalkeeper Molly Webster saved the day with her first stop of the afternoon.

Olivia Thomson got one on frame in the 25th that was also saved by Webster, establishing the Blues' attacking presence in the game.

Allie Seracuse was doing her part between the pipes at the other end of the pitch, coming up with a pair of saves after each of the times Whitman pressure had presented scoring chances.

Late in the first half, though, Whitworth's Michele Whan completed a tic-tac-toe from Sarah Cool and Courtney Potter to sneak one past Seracuse on a rare double-assist marker. Two minutes later Whitman's Emily Rigsby got off a chance at an equalizer but her attempt was just wide of the left post, leaving the Pirates to their tenuous one-goal lead entering the halftime break.

The opening 15 minutes of second-half action was tilted Whitworth's way as it generated five shots sandwiched around one from the Blues, that was also left of the mark. Within that five-shot tally by the Pirates was a 90-second barrage that left Seracuse to save the day, at least for the moment. The sophomore stopped a McKenzie Hemp shot, a header from Hemp and an Annie Clark shot all within the 59th and 60th minutes.

From that point forward, however, Seracuse was called upon only one more time as the Whitman attack began to turn the tide.

Brussell, Dani Espinoza, Camille Marshall and Eliza Van Wetter all got swings that challenged the Blues' one-goal deficit. Six of the last seven shots of the game, in fact, came off Whitman boots but none would find netting behind Webster.

Seracuse finished with six saves while Webster earned the shutout win after making four stops, though Whitman ran up an 11-10 edge in total shots.

The Blues head to McMinnville, Oregon, next, taking on host Linfield College on Sunday in another NWC match-up.