WALLA WALLA, Wash. —
Nathan Alvarado scored in the seventh minute and
Riki Kobayashi added a second-half insurance goal as Whitman College kept pace with Pacific Lutheran atop the Northwest Conference men's soccer standings with a 2-0 victory over George Fox on Sunday afternoon at James Hayner Field.
The Blues improved to 7-1-2 overall and 5-0-1 in NWC play, while the Bruins dropped to 1-6-2 overall and 1-4-2 in conference action.
Whitman controlled the early stages and outshot George Fox 11-3 in the first half. Alvarado opened the scoring at 6:48, finishing a pass from Kevin Serrano for his first goal of the season.
George Fox goalkeeper Chase Nelson made three first-half saves to limit the Blues' advantage, while Whitman goalkeeper Niclas Isensee stopped Aidan Brouddus' shot in the 31st minute to preserve the 1-0 halftime lead.
The Bruins generated more offensive pressure after the break, recording eight second-half shots. Brouddus forced a save from Isensee in the 59th minute, and Carson Tapia had another attempt stopped in the 79th, but Whitman maintained its clean sheet.
Kobayashi provided separation in the 68th minute, scoring unassisted at 67:12 for his fourth goal of the season and a 2-0 Blues lead.
Isensee finished with four saves in the shutout, while Nelson also made four saves for George Fox. Whitman held a 20-11 advantage in total shots, a 6-4 edge in shots on goal and a 12-3 advantage in corner kicks. Alvarado led the Blues with five shots, while Brouddus recorded four to lead the Bruins.
The Blues now head out on the road for a pair of critical matches against fellow undefeated league teams PLU and Puget Sound. They play the Lutes next Saturday and the Loggers the following day, both kickoffs set for 12:00 p.m.
#GoWhitman
