Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – The Whitman Blues men's soccer team took care of business on the road Friday, beating Lewis & Clark 2-0 at Griswold Stadium behind a dominant second half and a late chip from Nathan Alvarado. The win pushes Whitman to 9-2-2 overall and 7-1-1 in conference play.
A Quiet First Half, a Commanding Second
The opening 45 minutes were scoreless, with the River Otters holding a 5-1 edge in shots. Whitman's defense and goalkeeping kept the match level. Tait Whittemore made three saves in his 45 minutes in goal, and the back line of Pablo Gonzalez Jr., Alexander Perez Hernandez, and Aiden Guenther limited Lewis & Clark to just one corner kick in the half.
The second half told a different story. The Blues outshot the River Otters 10-1 after the break and dictated play for most of the final 45 minutes.
Lopez-Vega Breaks Through
Whitman broke the deadlock in the 55th minute. Following a throw-in to Fernando Lopez-Vega, the senior took the ball and fired from a tight angle across the goal to put the Blues ahead 1-0. It was Lopez-Vega's first goal of the season, and Alvarado was credited with the assist.
Alvarado Seals It
Alvarado put the match out of reach in the 88th minute. With the Lewis & Clark keeper well off his line, he chipped the ball from close to 40 yards out and found the net for his fourth goal of the season. The goal capped a two-point day for Alvarado, who finished with a goal, an assist, and two shots, one of them on target.
Isensee Closes the Door
Niclas Isensee took over in goal at halftime and earned the shutout win, improving to 5-1-2 on the season. He stopped the one shot he faced, a late attempt from Avi Rajbhandari in the 90th minute, to preserve the clean sheet. Whittemore and Isensee combined for the shutout.
By the Numbers
- Shots: Whitman 11, Lewis & Clark 6
- Shots on target: Whitman 5, Lewis & Clark 4
- Saves: Whitman 4, Lewis & Clark 3
- Corner kicks: Whitman 2, Lewis & Clark 3
- Kevin Serrano led the Blues with three shots, two on target
Up Next
The Blues look to carry their momentum into the next conference match up on Sunday against Linfield University.
