WALLA WALLA, Wash.  After a 1-0 overtime loss to 17th-ranked Pacific Lutheran University at the Whitman Athletic Fields on Saturday, Blues women's soccer head coach Laura Williamson described a "great team effort, all around" from which she expected her troops to extract "a lot."

But she also lamented that it "would have been great to get a result."

A draw or a win would have been a just and warranted Northwest Conference outcome for Whitman, vindication for a back line that more than held its own against the potent Lutes, for an attack that picked its counters wisely, for a goalkeeper whose efforts veered into the heroic.

"We were organized, defensively," Williamson said. "We were focused for 95 minutes, we let down for one, and they got us."

Ah, that one minute -- more a matter of seconds -- that kept Pacific Lutheran (8-1-0, 5-0 in NWC) undefeated atop the conference fray. With just over six minutes left in the first overtime, after two 45-minute halves in regulation left the nets undisturbed, a Whitman turnover in the corner allowed PLU to send the ball into the area. It took a few impish bounces before meeting its fate: the left boot of Lutes' senior -- and early conference MVP candidate -- Machaela Graddy.

Graddy blasted the ball into the net for the golden-goal winner.

The Whitman miscue deep in its own third recalled a similar lapse in the waning seconds of the second half. Blues' 'keeper Allie Seracuse had bolted off her line for a sprawling save that would have been the headline in a Whitman draw or win, the savvy sophomore's ninth save of the match instead consigned to a footnote.

"Allie is finally in a spot where she is playing with confidence. Knowing that she can make (those) big saves, we trust her," said Williamson. "It allows us to push forward numbers and take our chances."

Whitman's game plan, designed to offset the Lutes' speed and size advantages, involved patient possession and high-percentage passes, typically funneled through sweeper Kenz Tierney. The Blues were not content to merely pack the defensive third and jettison balls to safety, but to control and direct traffic after creating congestion.

In this way, Whitman dominated possession and took some fang out of the seven shots PLU managed to uncork.

Seracuse had five saves over the first 45 minutes.

Tierney, a sophomore captain, was an aggressive, intelligent penultimate line of defense.

Senior Saba Zewdie crashed several PLU scoring opportunities, including a crucial sequence near the 30-minute mark when she dispossessed Amber Richards twice on pushes into the Whitman area.

Chelsea Day, a junior who subbed on with 21:30 left in the half, headed away a brisk corner kick.

Quinn Woolley dominated midfield, fellow first-year Rylee Neville darted up and down the sideline for tackles and wise distribution, and senor Olivia Thomson was solid throughout.

"I don't think PLU was expecting that level of energy," said Williamson. "We challenged our team to show up and compete everywhere. We seemed to win our share of 50-50 balls. We ran through tackles."

Whitman (1-7-1, 1-3-1 in NWC) was out-shot 21-3 but mustered a serious threat when Sofia Ellington rifled a cross into the box near the 30-minute mark, PLU goalie Natalie Robinson rushing to scoop it up ahead of several charging Blues.

Eliza Van Wetter, Renee van Bergeijk and Pagan Hetherington each had shots for Whitman, which hosts the University of Puget Sound at 12 p.m. Sunday.