With four players scoring one goal apiece, the Whitman men's soccer team rolled to a 4-0 lead and then withstood a late charge by the opposition to post a 4-3 season-opening victory over Montana State-Billings Thursday night in Walla Walla.
The Missionaries led 2-0 at halftime and added two more goals by the midpoint of the second half. But with Whitman coach Mike Washington substituting freely, the NCAA Div. II Yellowjackets came charging back behind sophomore Mark Cippolla's hat trick.
After notching his first goal with 16:51 left to play, Cipolla took advantage of a penalty kick less than a minute later to pull the visitors to within 4-2. His third goal came with 12:22 remaining.
Missionary goalkeeper Travis Extstrom made the last of his seven saves with 43 seconds left on the clock to preserve the victory.
"We played exceptionally well for the first 60 minutes," Washington said. "I made a lot of changes in the second half, which is what eventually upset our rhythm more than anything else."
A total of 18 Missionaries saw playing time.
Washington attributed his team's strong play early in the game to its trip this summer to England, where it played several exhibition games. "We played against much stronger competition during our trip," he said. "We learned to play at a quicker pace and tempo."
With just under five minutes left in the first half, Whitman's Vico Rust opened the scoring when he sliced a direct free kick past Montana State's keeper. Rust, a junior, took the shot from about 30 yards out.
Three minutes later, senior defender Nate Hoffman raced up the left sideline and slipped a perfect pass to a streaking Niels Larson. Breaking to the front of the goal, Larson took the ball in stride and scored easily for a 2-0 Missionary lead.
Hoffman upped Whitman's cushion to 3-0 when he scored off a penalty kick in the sixth minute of the second half.
Senior Charlie Schneider tallied Whitman's fourth goal with 18:31 left to play. Larson, a junior, got the assist.
"It was a good first game for us," Washington said. "We got solid performances from a lot of people. We need to learn how to play when we get a big lead like that."
Whitman's victory avenged a 2-1 loss to the Yellowjackets lasts season.
Whitman travels cross country on Friday for a pair of games in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Missionaries play Minnesota's Bethel College on Saturday and Colorado College on Sunday.
Box score
Freshman Cody Fierro scored his first collegiate goal and added an assist as the Whitman men's soccer team pinned a 4-2 defeat on Bethel College Saturday afternoon in Colorado Springs, Colo. The victory gives the Missionaries a 2-0 record heading into Sunday's game with Colorado College.
Bethel, an NCAA Div. III school in St. Paul, Minn., lost 3-1 to Colorado College in a game played on Friday.
"We led the whole way, and we played well," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "The altitude is always a problem in Colorado, but our conditioning didn't seem to be a problem. Even though we played Thursday night and then traveled here on Friday, we played a strong game."
Fierro, a forward from Kalispell, Mont., gave Whitman a 1-0 lead with an unassisted goal in the eighth minute of play. Fierro intercepted a Bethel pass and then bent a 20-yard shot around the keeper.
Six minutes later, Fierro slipped a pass into the box for junior Brian Logan, who beat the keeper one-on-one.
The Royals pulled to within 2-1 when senior Jered Schock scored in the 35th minute.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Whitman's Niels Larson dribbled across the field, from left to right, and fired home his second goal of the season from 22 yards out. After Bethel's Scott Hamlin scored in the 65th minute of play, Missionary defender Nate Hoffman responded in the 85th minute to ice the victory. Hoffman's goal, also his second of the season, came from 25 yards out.
"Nate played another good game out of the back," Washington said. "Our defense was excellent, our midfield players worked hard, and our players at the front made good on their opportunities."
Whitman outshot Bethel 18 to 8. Missionary keeper Travis Exstrom finished with five saves.
Box scorePlaying its third game in four days, a tired Whitman men's soccer team ran out of gas in the second half as hard-charging Colorado College overwhelmed the Missionaries for a 5-1 victory Sunday in Colorado Springs.
Colorado, an NCAA Div. III independent, improved to 3-1 on the season while Whitman dropped to 2-1.
The host Tigers capitalized on a penalty kick to take a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the game. That was it for the first-half scoring, but Colorado added three more goals in the first 18 minutes of the second half to break it open.
Whitman sophomore Adam Yadon, assisted by freshman Peter Avriett, tallied his first goal of the season in the 77th minute to get the Missionaries on the scoreboard. Colorado added its fifth goal with two minutes left to play.
Whitman opened its season Thursday with a victory over Montana State-Billings, traveled to Colorado on Friday and then beat Bethel College on Saturday. Colorado bested Bethel on Friday and then took Saturday off.
"We got tired in the second half, I'm sure, but I'm not taking anything away from Colorado," Whitman coach Mike Washington. "They are a very good side, and they played very well. They were definitely the better team today and deserved to win. They played a very high pressure game and we couldn't handle it in the second half."
The Tigers outshot the Missionaries 34-7.
Whitman starting midfielder Will Hallifax suffered a concussion late in the first half and was lost for the rest of the game. Reserve goalkeeper Nate Davis also was knocked from the game in the second half with a possible broken thumb.
Box scoreVico Rust scored two goals and Niels Larson added a third as the Whitman men's soccer team downed Columbia Basin College (CBC) Wednesday night in Walla Walla. Because CBC is a two-year school, the game's outcome and individual statistics do not count on Whitman's record.
The Missionaries bunched all three of their goals in the opening 30 minutes of play. Whitman goalkeeper Travis Exstrom lost his bid for shutout when CBC scored late in the contest off a penalty kick.
"We were in command for most of the game," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "Our fitness and speed of play was much, much quicker. We played just about everyone on our roster, and there were solid performances from several players."
Rust opened the scoring in the 10th minute, scoring with an assist from Nate Hoffman. Larson's goal later in the half, assisted by Will Hallifax, sent the Missionaries into halftime with a 3-0 cushion.
CBC was a "difficult team to play," Washington said. "They are very athletic but not always as disciplined as they could be. It was a good game for us, and it gave us a chance to work on a few things."
The Whitman men's soccer team opened its Northwest Conference slate with a 4-1 loss to defending champion Whitworth Wednesday afternoon in Spokane.
Perhaps a bit rusty from a two-week layoff, Whitman fell to 2-2 on the season. After winning two of their first three games, the Missionaries last played on Sept. 11, beating Columbia Basin College 3-1 in a non-counting scrimmage.
Calvin Ball and Bobby LaBelle each had a goal and an assist to lead Whitworth, which upped its record to 5-2 overall.
The Pirates jumped to a quick 1-0 lead at 11:38 of the first half on a goal by Kurt Kawaga. Just over a minute later Ball headed in a centered pass from Todd Sabrowki, giving Whitworth a 2-0 lead.
"We simply gave the ball away too many times in the first half," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "I felt we came out flat in the first half and worked much harder in the second."
The Pirates extended their halftime lead at 53:41 on a LaBelle goal that beat Whitman keeper Travis Exstrom to the lower right corner.
The Missionaries cut the lead to 3-1 when Jeff Waggoner chased down a loose ball in the goal box and beat Whitworth keeper Justin Tauscher from close range at 59:31. It was Waggoner's first goal of the season.
Jonathan Carlson finished off the Whitworth scoring with a goal from LaBelle at 81:34.
"This is just one of those games that did not work out for us," Washington said. "We were outplayed and only have ourselves to blame for that."
Whitman continues its conference play on the road this weekend, visiting Willamette on Saturday and Linfield on Sunday.
Box scoreUnable to overcome an early two-goal deficit, the Whitman men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision at Willamette Saturday afternoon in Salem.
The Missionaries fell to 0-2 in the Northwest Conference and 2-3 overall.
Down 2-0 at halftime, Whitman scored 11 minutes into the second half when Nate Hoffman scored his third goal of the season.
"Nate's goal came on a free kick that sailed around the wall past the Willamette keeper," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "It was a play that we had worked hard on in practice."
The Missionaries outshot Willamette 15-14, which included an 8-7 edge in shots on goal. For the second time in two games, however, a slow Whitman start proved to be the deciding factor. Bearcats Kyle Gouveia and Mike Semenza scored less than three minutes apart early in the first half. The second goal came at the 14:41 mark.
"There were times when we peppered the keeper with excellent shots," Washington added. "Overall we played better today and with more confidence. We almost played a complete game, but a few mental lapses hurt us."
Whitman continues its conference play Sunday at Linfield.
Box scoreRunning into its most formidable opponent to date, the Whitman men's soccer team dropped a 4-0 decision to Linfield Sunday afternoon in McMinnville.
The Missionaries fell to 0-3 in the Northwest Conference and 2-4 overall. Linfield remains unbeaten at 3-0 in the NWC and 8-0 overall.
The Wildcats scored two goals in each half on shots from four different players. Linfield took 14 shots, including ten on goal, against Whitman goalie Travis Exstrom, who finished with six saves. The Missionaries only mustered five shots.
"Linfield is the best team we have played thus far," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "They have tremendous team speed, create good possessions, and do a fine job with ball movement. We did not create enough opportunities four ourselves, which put too much pressure on our defense."
Whitman returns for three games this week, starting with a non-conference contest with cross-town rival Walla Walla College at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Missionaries host NWC foes Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound on Saturday and Sunday (both games starting at 2:30 p.m.).
"We look forward to getting back home, which will help us sort out some of our problems," Washington said.
Box score
In its most dominant effort of the season, the Whitman men's soccer team shut out cross-town rival Walla Walla College in 6-0 Wednesday night.
The Missionaries raised their overall record to 3-4 while Walla Walla College dropped to 1-9.
The Missionaries scored five first-half goals, three of which came within the first 12 minutes. Sophomore Jonathan Stebbins began the scoring at the 7:32 mark on a cross from freshman Peter Avriett. Three minutes later, Avriett scored his first collegiate goal on a 25-yard blast into the right corner.
Stebbins continued the Whitman assault with his second goal at 11:32 on an assist from junior Niels Larson. Taking a pass from junior Brian Logan, Larson then scored the first of his two goals at 19:19. Whitman finished off its dominating first half with a goal from sophomore Adam Yadon on another Logan assist. The goal was Yadon's second of the season.
"We played free and confident tonight," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "Playing a non-league game took the pressure off a bit and we played a strong game."
Whitman finished its scoring at 64:13 on Larson's second goal of the game and fourth of the season. The Missionaries outshot Walla Walla College 41-4 as 19 Whitman players saw playing time in the lopsided contest.
The Missionaries host Northwest Conference foes Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound on Saturday and Sunday (both games starting at 2:30 p.m.).
Box score
The Whitman men's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to Northwest Conference rival Pacific Lutheran Saturday afternoon in Walla Walla.
The Missionaries dropped to 3-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play. The Lutes evened their record to 5-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
Pacific Lutheran scored with under five minutes in regulation and then just six minutes into overtime to escape Walla Walla with the win.
The first half was a scoreless defensive battle coupled with strong keeper play on both sides. Whitman keeper Travis Exstrom finished with eight saves. Pacific Lutheran outshot Whitman 15-9 throughout the contest.
Whitman got on the scoreboard first at 63:51 on a Niels Larson goal assisted by Peter Avriett. The goal was Larson's fifth of the season and third in the last two games.
The Missionaries tried to fend off the PLU attack late in the game, but the Lutes finally scored at the 85:57 mark on a goal by Kelly LeProwse.
Pacific Lutheran prevailed at 96:06 of overtime on a Peter Wilson goal assisted by Willy Devgun. Today was Whitman's first overtime game of the season.
The Missionaries host Northwest Conference foe Puget Sound Sunday at 2:30.
Box scoreFor the second time in two days, the Whitman men's soccer team suffered a gut-wrenching overtime loss, losing 1-0 on Sunday to Puget Sound at the Whitman athletic fields.
Josh Hedrick scored on a rebound in the 112th minute of play, near the end of the second overtime session. The Missionaries dropped to 3-6 overall and 0-5 in conference play. The Loggers raised their record to 5-6 overall and 1-4 in the conference.
"We played well for the second straight day," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "We moved the ball and played defense with tremendous grit and determination. The work ethic of this team has never been in doubt."
Washington praised the play of defensemen Tyler Chisholm. "Again, the defense played well and Chisholm had a lot to do with it."
Washington also was pleased with the Whitman midfield play. "I must note the effort of Brian Logan, which was evident throughout the entire game."
"I obviously do not like the final outcome of both games this weekend, but I am pleased with the way the guys have continued to improve," Washington added. "With a good week of practice, I think we'll be confident heading into next week's road games."
Whitman continues its conference play on the road this weekend, visiting Pacific University on Saturday and George Fox on Sunday. Both games will start at 2:30.
Box score
After losing two overtime games the previous weekend, the Whitman men's soccer team turned the tables Saturday with a 1-0 overtime victory at Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore.
A corner kick set the stage for Whitman junior Jeff Waggoner's game-winning goal at the 7:52 mark of overtime. The corner kick deflected off Tyler Chisholm's head, landing at the feet of Peter Avriett, who played a quick one-two with Brad Bowen before sending the ball to the far post. Will Hallifax rose to head the ball back into path of Waggoner, who slotted the ball under Pacific's advancing keeper.
"The game, although fought mostly in the midfield, was exciting as each team created a few opportunities to win it in regulation," Whitman coach Mike Washington said.
Dustin Sackett, Pacific's leading scorer, nearly scored off a header in the waning minutes of regulation. Whitman keeper Travis Exstrom, however, made what Washington called a "brilliant save" to preserve the scoreless deadlock. Earlier in the game, Washington said, an apparent goal by Waggoner was waved off by a linesman's offside ruling. Niels Larson, Whitman's leading scorer, also just missed a goal when his shot hit the side netting.
Pacific finished with five shots on goal, one more than Whitman. Exstrom was credited with five saves.
Box score
Defensive changes made at halftime sparked the Whitman men's soccer team to a 2-1 overtime victory at George Fox Sunday afternoon in Newberg, Ore. It was Whitman's second overtime victory in two days.
Jeff Waggoner, who booted Saturday's only score in a 1-0 victory at Pacific, collected both Whitman goals in Sunday's victory over the Bruins. Waggoner, a junior, now has four goals on the season.
George Fox took the early lead, scoring in the 16th minute of play off a fastbreak triggered by keeper Ron Besser's long kick.
"George Fox caused some problems for our defense with its direct play, which tends to stretch your defense," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "It keeps the ball away from your midfield and makes it difficult to control the game's tempo. We made some changes in our defensive shape in the second half, which allowed us to cover each other better, made the field smaller, and brought our midfield back into play."
Fourteen minutes into the second half, Whitman pulled even on Waggoner's first goal. Playing off a quick combination with Andy Shanstrom, Waggoner split two defenders, took a short dribble and fired a shot past the diving keeper.
The 1-1 deadlock continued until the 12th minute of overtime. A ball cleared up field by Tyler Chisholm took a high bounce. Jon Stebbins rose to pressure the defender, then sent the ball sideways. "Waggoner reacted quicker than the last two defenders, splitting them on the run and playing the ball off his thigh," Washington said. The keeper's attempt to pressure Waggoner proved fruitless as Waggoner rolled an open shot into the net.
Waggoner was busy throughout, taking 10 shots in all, including six on goal. As a team, the Missionaries outshot the Bruins 24-18, which included a 12-8 advanage in shots on goal. Whitman keeper Travis Exstrom finished with seven saves.
Box scorePuget Sound, one of the top teams in the Northwest Conference, ran its season record to 10-3 with a 6-0 pasting of the Whitman men's soccer team Saturday afternoon in Tacoma.
Outshooting the Missionaries 21-4, the Loggers scored four times in the first half and coasted to victory.
"Our defense today was poor at best," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "We allowed UPS too much time and space to play. When you give up the ball in wide channels, it makes defending the center areas difficult."
Puget Sound continued its scoring onslaught early in the second half, adding its fifth and sixth goals in the first three minutes after intermission.
"UPS played some of its best soccer today," Washington said. "When they are playing well, they are a great side."
Box score
Rebounding from a slow start, the Whitman men's soccer team rallied to battle Pacific Lutheran to a 2-2 overtime tie Sunday afternoon in Tacoma.
With the Missionaries still smarting from a loss Saturday at Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran came out firing, stinging the Whitman defense for two goals in the first nine minutes of play.
Rather than fold, however, the Missionaries "gained composure and started to take control of the game," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "We started pushing PLU into its end of the field, with ease and for long periods of time."
Midway through the first half, after a PLU foul, senior Nate Hoffman bent a free kick around the defensive wall. The ball bounced off the post into the path of Charlie Schneider and Adam Yadon. Schneider, also a senior, got the final touch and the goal, his second of the season.
Whitman continued to apply pressure and had several other great looks at the PLU goal. Vico Rust nearly scored on two free kicks, each of which was tipped over the goal by PLU keeper Jared Harman. Right before halftime, Will Hallifax hit the post from 30 yards out.
The second half alternated between Whitman pressure and PLU counterattacks. With less than four minutes to play, the Missionaries tied the score on a corner kick by freshman Peter Avriett. The ball was flicked by Brian Stater and then redirected by Adam Yadon into the back of the net. It was Yadon's third goal of the season.
Whitman outshot the Lutes 6-4 through two overtime sessions, but neither side was able to score. For the game, the Missionaries fired 11 shots on goal, compared to just five for PLU. Whitman keeper Travis Exstrom finished with three saves.
Looking back, Whitman's poor play to start the game is what cost the Missionaries a victory, Washington said. "Mistakes of that nature need to be resolved or we'll continue to struggle in other games."
Box scoreThe Whitman men's soccer team posted a 5-2 victory over cross-town rival Walla Walla College in a non-conference match in College Place Thursday evening. It was the second victory over the Wolves this year for the Missionaries, improving their record to 6-7-1 overall.
Walla Walla gained the edge early off a direct free kick that sailed over the head of Whitman goalkeeper Ludguier Montejo. Whitman came right back in the seventh minute, when Nate Hoffman scored on a penalty kick. Brad Bowen broke the tie in the 27th minute, scoring on an assist from Jeff waggoner. The Wolves created a goal off of a loose ball inside the box, and the score was knotted 2-2 at halftime.
The Missionaries controlled the second half, scoring three times to finish off the Wolves. Whitman's first goal in the second half came when Peter Avriett scored on a Bowen assist in the 57th minute. Just nine minutes later, Bowen scored off of a pass from Will Hallifax. Bryce Andrews finished off the scoring for the evening on a Adam Yadon assist.
Andrews' goal was his first in collegiate play. Ryan Porter, Nick Davis, and goalkeeper Montejo saw their first collegiate starts as coach Mike Washington rested many of his usual starters.
"We were in control most of the way," Washington said. "They led a spirited first half, but we got used to the small field and took control in the second."
The Missionaries face conference opponents Linfield and Willamette this weekend in Walla Walla. Saturday's game against Linfield begins at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday's game with Willamette 1:30 p.m.
Box score
A pair of early second half goals by Linfield proved too much for the Whitman men's soccer team to overcome Saturday as the Missionaries fell, 3-2.
Whitman dropped to 2-7-1 in conference, 6-8-1 overall. Linfield improved to 9-0-1 in conference, 13-0-1 overall.
After the Wildcats struck first with a header off of a free kick, junior Jeff Waggoner hit a left-footed shot from well outside the box inside the left post to even the score.
Linfield opened the second half with a pair of goals in the first ten minutes. The Missionaries came back, however, and applied solid pressure throughout the rest of the game.
"Our team is built around everyone working hard," noted coach Mike Washington. The Misssionaries' effort finally paid off in the 87th minute when freshman Peter Avriett sent in a cross from the right sideline that senior Charlie Schneider headed in, cutting Linfield's lead in half.
"We're not done ever," praised Washington. "Our effort is 100 percent always. . .as a coach, it makes you proud." Whitman had a couple of chances in the end, including a late corner kick, but was unable to capitalize.
The Missionaries next take on Willamette University Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Washington sees the possibility of an upset tomorrow. "We played very well against Willamette down there," he noted. Whitman fell to the Bearcats in Salem earlier this season, 2-1.
Box score
Playing into overtime for the sixth time in its last nine Northwest Conferenc games, the Whitman men's soccer team battled Willamette to a 1-1 overtime Sunday afternoon in Walla Walla.
The Missionaries, who outshot the Bearcats 23-18, are now 6-8-2 on the season, which includes a mark of 3-7-2 in conference. Of its six overtime games, Whitman has won two, lost two and tied two.
Whitman jumped in front early in Sunday's contest when freshman Cody Fierro scored an unassisted goal with just 6:08 elapsed off the clock. Willamette (5-9-2, 4-5-2) pulled even with a goal in the 33rd minute of play.
The 1-1 deadlock at intermission persisted throughout a second half that saw the Missionaries outshot the Bearcats 8-4. Whitman continued its offensive dominance in the two overtime periods, outshooting Willamette 9-2.
For the game, Vico Rust led the Whitman attack with seven shots. Jeff Waggoner added four. "The kids worked hard today," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "We created a lot of chances, but just couldn't finish them off."
Travis Exstrom, Whitman's senior goalkeeper, finished with seven saves. "Our defense was very sound today," Washington added. "Our midfielders also played well."
Whitman hosts George Fox and Pacific next Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both matches begin at 1:30 p.m.
Box score
The Whitman men's soccer team defeated George Fox for the second time this season, this time 4-0 in a Northwest Conference match Saturday afternoon in Walla Walla. The Missionaries improved to 7-8-2 on the season, 3-7-2 in conference, while the Bruins fell to 3-12-1 and 2-9-1.
Whitman took the early lead off an unassisted Jeff Waggoner goal in the 15th minute. It was the only scoring in the first half of play.
"They caused us a lot of problems early in the game," Whitman coach Mike Washington noted. "They played more a more conventional game than they did last time, and we were a little confused."
The Missionaries held a 1-0 lead until the 64th minute, when Andy Shanstrom scored his first goal of the season on a cross for Waggoner. Whitman found the back of the net again just four minutes later as Waggoner scored his second goal of the match. Niels Larson rounded out the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 71st minute of play.
Travis Exstrom and Nate Davis combined for the Whitman shutout. Each goalie faced four shots and made two saves. Waggoner and junior Brian Logan each fired five shots, and Larson added four of Whitman's 27.
"We played well today," Washington said. "It's really the first time we've finished all of our chances, and I was very happy."
The Missionaries play Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against Pacific University.
Box score
The Whitman men's soccer team put up four goals for the second day in a row as they shut out Pacific in a Northwest Conference match Sunday.
The Missionaries improved to 8-8-2, 4-7-2, while Pacific fell to 8-10-1, 3-9-1.
The game went scoreless until the 30th minute, when freshman Cody Fierro dribbled the ball through the Pacific defense and launched a shot into the back of the net. Niels Larson assisted the play. Six minutes later, aftr Bryan Logan was taken down in the box, Whitman was awarded a penalty kick. Vico Rust converted the kick and gave the Missionaries a 2-0 lead.
"Vico had a great penalty kick," Whitman coach Mike Washington said. "We had some people score today who really deserved it."
Whitman extended its lead in the 67th minute, when sophomore Brad Bowen took a pass from Larson and fired a shot into the right corner of the net. Will Hallifax rounded off the scoring with an unassisted goal, his first of the season, in the 72nd minute.
"We got a terrific perfomance from our defense today," Washington added. "They have one of the top scorers (Duston Sackett) in the league, and we played them well."
Whitman outshot Pacific 19-10 for the match. Fierro led the Whitman attack with five shots, three on goal. "We finished our chances well again today," Washington said. "It was a great weekend, and a tremendous accomplishment to score eight goals in two conference games."
Senior Travis Exstrom made six saves in the Whitman net, shutting out Pacific for the second time this season. Last month in Forest Grove, Exstrom blanked the Boxers for nearly 98 minutes in Whitman's 1-0 overtime victory.
Sunday's shutout was Exstrom's third against Pacific in the past three years. During that stretch, with Exstrom allowing just four Boxer goals, the Missionaries have won four of six meetings between the two teams. Last season, Pacific scored a 2-1 overtime victory and battled Whitman to a 1-1 overtime tie.
Whitman hosts Whitworth next Saturday to conclude its season.
Box scoreAfter coming back to take a 2-1 lead, the Whitman men's soccer team gave up three goals in the last 22 minutes of play, concluding its season with a 4-2 loss to Whitworth College Saturday in Walla Walla.
The Missionaries finished with an 8-9-2 record on the season, including a mark of 4-8-2 in the Northwest Conference. Whitman placed fifth in conference standings, just one game back of fourth-place Willamette. Whitworth finished 8-5-1 in conference, good enough for third place.
The Pirates got on the board first in the 26th minute off of a goal by Jonathan Carlson. The Missionaries struck back seven minutes later when junior Brian Logan passed to fellow junior Jeff Waggoner, who had a wide open net after Whitworth goalkeeper Jon Bosh challenged Logan.
The game went back and forth for the rest of the half and the early part of the second stanza. In the 60th minute, senior Will Halifax sent in a long cross from the right side, hitting Waggoner almost in stride. Waggoner headed the cross over Bosh for his second goal in the game. "It [the goal] was brilliant," Whitman coach Mike Washington said.
Whitworth controlled the rest of the game, however, and things went from bad to worse for the Missionaries with just over four minutes left to play. Junior defender Tyler Chisolm went up to challenge for a header and came down awkwardly on his right ankle. "We heard a pop," said Washington, adding that the ankle was probably broken.
In addition to the three goals, Whitworth hit the post twice in the second half. "We didn't play well wide defensively," Washington said.
Waggoner, in scoring two goals for the second time in his last three games, finished with a team-leading nine goals, one of three players in the conference to tally that many. Puget Sound's led the NWC with 10 goals.
Six seniors suited up for the last time Saturday: goalies Travis Extrom and Nate Davis, defenders Nate Hoffman and Will Halifax, and midfielders Charlie Schneider and Matt Butts. Washington praised the work ethic of all of his seniors, the coach's first graduating class.
Looking ahead to next year, Washington said the goalkeeper spot will be the top recruiting priority. The Missionaries are not only losing Extrom, a four-year starter who "makes great saves," Washington said, but their top bench leader in Davis. "Travis [Extrom] is going to be a tough one to follow," Washington said.
The Missionaries will be returning a strong senior class, led by forwards Waggoner and Niels Larson, midfielder Vico Rust and Chisolm. Washington said that the first half of the season will be the key to next year. “We’ve got to be more consistent earlier in the year,” the coach said.
Box score