WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Despite dominating the run of play with an ingenious and dangerous attack, Whitman seemed destined for an unlikely draw as time slipped away in the second overtime of its Northwest Conference men's soccer opener against George Fox on Saturday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

Alas, the Blues had a grimmer fate in store. Daniel Alonzo chased down a haphazardly caroming long ball, squirted between two Whitman defenders and scored a golden-goal game-winner 101 minutes, 54 seconds into the match for George Fox. Alonzo's goal in the 2-1 victory came on the Bruins' only shot of the second overtime and just their sixth overall in a match that featured too many Whitman near-misses to track.

"The last five or six games we've been playing very good soccer," Whitman head coach Jose Cedeno said. "You've gotta score goals to win games."

The Blues (1-5-0, 0-1-0 in NWC) dominated the first 15 minutes, exerting relentless high pressure, monopolizing the midfield and subjecting the Fox goalkeeper to near-constant inquisition. Peter Stephens won the second of 10 Whitman corner kicks at the 16-minute mark, and Gabe Jacobson's ensuing kick skimmed all the way through the box to the far post, finding the boot of a crashing Jacob Fritz for a goal and 1-0 lead.

It hardly seemed to dent Whitman's momentum when the Bruins' Moises Manon equalized on a rare counterattack. By the end of the first half, the Blues were well on the way to dominating in shots (11 at half, 20 in regulation, 23 total), shots on goal (11 total) and corners (five at half, five total).

"We were able to create so many chances," Cedeno said, wistfully. "If we continue to work on our play in the attacking third, we should be able to get some in the net."

Whitman's second-half assault was furious; the Blues pounded on the door throughout the last 20 minutes. David Chavarin's corner with 18 minutes left created an opportunity for Fritz, whose shot ticked wide left. Another Chavarin corner found Jadon Bachtold, who couldn't quite corral the ball for a point-blank chance. Luca Barsher, who was a terror at the end of regulation and in both overtimes, sent a header just over the bar on Erik Nielsen's precise cross. C.J. Fritz was fractionally belated in running on to a cross from Bachtold, just missing getting his head on a sure goal. A screaming blast from Stephens was saved by heavily-exercised George Fox 'keeper Andrew Phillips.

And as the game clock slid under 10 seconds, Bachtold nearly won it with a one-touch flourish.

With under 10 seconds in the first overtime, Noah Cavanaugh linked up with Gabe Jacobson on a free kick, but Jacobson's header swayed wide.

Nielsen and Ben Freedman each had shots for Whitman, and Barsher and Stephens had two shots on frame apiece.

"The guys always give 100 percent," said Cedeno. "The effort has been consistently there."

The Blues host Pacific at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.