WALLA WALLA, Wash. —
Henry Pierce and
Keegan Chapko scored goals as the Whitman College men's soccer team delivered back-to-back shutouts to start the Northwest Conference season with a 2-0 victory over Lewis & Clark on Sunday afternoon at James Hayner Field.
The Blues improved to 4-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in conference play, opening the NWC schedule with back-to-back clean sheets. Lewis & Clark fell to 1-6-0 overall and 1-3-0 in league competition.
Whitman took control early and broke through in the 19th minute. Luis Mendez Caballero set up Pierce, who finished at 18:13 for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 Blues lead.
The Blues continued to apply pressure throughout the match, outshooting the River Otters 16-6 and placing 11 attempts on target. Whitman also held a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks and finished with 56% possession.
Lewis & Clark goalkeeper Micaiah Garan made nine saves, including a stop on Kevin Serrano's penalty kick in the 76th minute, to keep the River Otters within one late in the contest.
Whitman added insurance in the 84th minute when Nathan Alvarado found Chapko for his second goal of the season. The late finish sealed the result and capped a strong all-around defensive performance from the Blues.
Tait Whittemore recorded two saves in the shutout and improved to 3-1-0 this season. Pierce led Whitman with four shots, all on goal, while Serrano added three shots on target. Ren Fukuoka paced Lewis & Clark with three shots, including two on frame.
Whitman completes its conference-opening homestand with a Wednesday night matchup against Whitworth. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
#GoWhitman
