SPOKANE, Wash. -
Erin Magnuson led the Blues with four goals and two assists,
Madeleine Sherry added three goals and a team-best three assists, but it came in a narrow 17-15 opening day loss to Southwestern (TX) in the opening game of the WhitLax Classic on Saturday at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.
Korin Wheaton had a solid day in net for the Blues who rallied from a five-goal deficit in the fourth quarter. Wheaton posted 18 saves in a full 60 minutes of action and dealt with 40 registered shots by Southwestern. Gracie Maulik had a solid outing as well. She scored two goals with one assist, four caused turnovers and scooped up five ground balls.
DeAnna Hames led all scorers for the Pirates (4-0) with six goals while tallying an assist, six groundballs and five caused turnovers.
The game was as tight as could be through three quarters. Neither team led by more than two goals until Liana Collins scored midway through the first period to put the Pirates up 5-3. Then, across the first and second quarters, the Blues scored five of the next six goals to take a one-goal lead. Magnuson scored two goals in the run that gave her team an 8-7 lead with three minutes remaining in the half.Â
Southwestern turned the tides in the third quarter and went up 13-10 on the strength of back-to-back Hames goals. Izzy Eggerling, who scored three goals on the day for the Blues, scored with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter and Whitman trailed by only two heading to the fourth.
Whitman fell behind by five goals in the final period but didn't let the game slip away. Sherry scored and assisted on another to make it a two-goal game, but the Blues couldn't make it all the way back and suffered the loss.
The Blues close the Classic on Sunday against Multnomah. Start time is set for 11:00 a.m.
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