Senior Julia Makowski posted a hat trick, scoring all three Whitman goals, to lead the Missionaries to a season-opening 3-1 exhibition victory over Walla Walla Community College Saturday evening at the new Whitman soccer field.
"Julia was on fire, and it was a good start for us overall," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "Our defense was exceptional. The CC found it very difficult to break through. Their one goal was a terrific shot from way outside. I think our keeper took her eyes off the ball for a second and it just slipped through."
Whitman outshot WWCC 15 to 4. Missionary freshman Anne Owne made two saves in goal.
"The game gave me the opportunity to see how we reacted to the type of pressure the CC threw at us," Shields said. "They are very direct and play with a lot of speed. We still have a few things to work on, but we played well."
Returning starters Sara Weihmann and Erin Bray were among the Missionaries who played well, Shields said.
Three first-year players made memorable collegiate debuts as the Whitman women's soccer team blanked a short-handed Southern Oregon University 3-0 Friday afternoon in Ashland.
The host squad, which competes in the NAIA, went the entire 90 minutes with just 10 players because of a spring eligibilty snafu that left four players ineligible to start the season.
"It was unfortunate because playing a short-handed team deflated us a little bit," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "We were flat to start the game, very slow and sluggish. Toward the end of the first half, though, the sharpness started coming back to our passing and we dominated. I'm guessing they only had two shots in the last 55 to 60 minutes of play."
Goalkeeper Anne Owen was one of Whitman's first-year players who made her first collegiate game a good one. Owen needed a pair of spectacular stops, one in each half, to preserve her shutout.
Southern Oregon generated only seven shots, but Owen loomed large when necessary. In the 38th minute, Owen blocked Jacqueline Fahrney's uncontested shot from 10 yards out. Then, in the game's final moments, Owen's diving snare stopped a point-blank shot by Jessica Montgomery.
Owen finished with five saves in all. Whitman outshot Southern Oregon 28-7.
Emily Marshall and Lauren DeYoung, two more first-year players, scored goals for the Missionaries. Julia Makowski, a senior, booted Whitman's first goal, sending a 15-yard rocket inside the left goalpost in the 11th minutes of play. Erin Bray made the assisst.
Makowski had all three Missionary goals in last week's 3-1 exhibition game victory over Walla Walla Community College.
Marshall scored her goal in Friday's 38th minute, taking a pass from senior Jana Seaman. Sara Weihmann, a junior, assisted on DeYoung's goal, which came 11 minutes in the second half.
"I'm very pleased with our first-year players," Shields said. "They come onto the field to give our olders a break and we don't miss a beat. I'm getting very comfortable with my bench. McKenzie Hoffman and Kara Mackenzie were two more first-year players who played well."
With Southern Oregon playing short-handed, Shields rested his leading scorer from last year, sophomore Katey Schmitz, because of minor injuries.
Box score
Lauren DeYoung booted a pair of goals and Anne Owen recorded her second consecutive shutout as the Whitman women's soccer team rolled to a 6-0 victory at Eastern Oregon University Tuesday. The Missionaries improved to 2-0 and will host a tough Carroll College at noon this Sunday.
Whitman dominated Eastern Oregon from start to finish, outshooting its host 25-4. Owen, a first-year player, made two saves in posting her second shutout in two games.
DeYoung, also a first-year player, scored twice in the opening 2:51 of the game. Her first goal, coming at the 2:10 mark, was unassisted. McKenzie Hoffman, another of Whitman's nine first-year players, assisted on DeYoung's second goal -- her third of the young season.
Assisted by Kaitlin Varady, senior Julia Makowski scored in the 36th minute to give the Missionaries a 3-0 lead at the break.
Whitman's Kara Mackenzie tallied her first collegiate as Whitman continued its onslaught in the second half. Other goals were scored by sophomores Jennifer Weissman and Kim Boese. Makowski also had a second-half assist.
Box scoreRemaining undefeated and unscored upon, the Whitman women's soccer team clipped visiting Carroll College 2-0 Sunday afternoon. The Missionaries moved to 3-0 on the season, while Carroll dropped to 1-4-1.
Anne Owen, Whitman's first-year goalkeeper, made nine saves against 22 Carroll shots to register her third shutout in as many games. Lauren DeYoung, also a first-year player, had one of Whitman's two goals, pushing her scoring total to four goals in her first three games.
McKenzie Hoffman, another of Whitman's first-year players, opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a 15-yard shot from the center of the field. Kaitlin Varady, a junior, assisted on the goal.
DeYoung made it 2-0 with a 10-yard shot in the 36th minute. Sara Weihmann, a junior, got the assist.
"We're playing really good soccer right now," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "We're scoring goals and shutting out the other teams. There are several minor points we're working on, but it's really a matter of trying to finetune our game."
Carroll outshot the Missionaries 22-14. "Carroll is an NAIA school, so they probably had some scholarship athletes out there," Shields said. "They have a lot of speed and talent at the front, so our defense had to work very hard. Lindsay Colgan and Lindsay Gore did an awesome job on defense for us."
Two of Whitman's starting defenders, Meghan Bowen and Jennifer Weissman, missed the game. Bowen was away from campus for the weekend, and Weissman was resting a sore knee.
In booting Sunday's opening goal, Hoffman became the fourth first-year player to score in Whitman's first three games. Kara Mackenzie and Emily Marshall are the other players who have already notched their first collegiate goals, in addition to Hoffman and DeYoung.
Owen, Whitman's first-year keeper, continues to "make some high quality saves," Shields said. "She's earning her shutouts."
Whitman concludes its non-conference schedule next Sunday when it hosts Montana State-Billings. The Missionaries play their first Northwest Conference game on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Whitworth.
Box score
With first-year midfielder McKenzie Hoffman scoring her second and third goals of the season, the Whitman women's soccer team ran its record to 4-0 with a 4-2 home-field victory over Montana State-Billings Sunday morning.
Assisted by senior Julia Makowski, Hoffman booted her first goal in the third minute of play. That was it for the first-half scoring as the Missionaries took a 1-0 lead into intermission.
Sophomore Katey Schmitz, assisted by senior Jana Seaman, collected her first goal of the season in the ninth minute of the second half to give Whitman a 2-0 lead. Five minutes later, however, the Yellowjackets capitalized on congestion and a loose ball in front of Whitman's goal to punch a ball past first-year Missionary keeper Anne Owen. It was the first goal surrendered by Owen and her defense this season.
With 24 minutes left to play, first-year midfielder Lauren DeYoung took a pass from junior Kaitlin Varaday to score what proved to be the game-winning goal. It was DeYoung's team-leading fifth score of the season.
Hoffman added her second goal of the day with 12:50 left to give the Missionaries a 4-1 lead. Makowski picked up her second assist of the game on the play.
The Yellowjackets got their second goal with 2:50 remaining, taking advantage of another Whitman defensive breakdown to convert a two-on-one opportunity against Owen.
"On the positive side, we continue to score some quality goals on some great plays, and we continue to get better game after game," Whitman coach Scott Shields. "On the downside, when we have breakdowns on defense, they tend to be major. That's something we need to correct."
With the Missionaries outshooting the Yellowjackets 22-7, Shields substituted freely throughout the contest, sending 18 players in the game. "It's not really an excuse for the defensive breakdowns, but we substituted a lot, which can disrupt your rhythm. But when players go onto the field, they still need to play."
Shields said his liberal substitutions were due in part to next week's start of Northwest Conference play. "We wanted to keep everyone rested," he said. "We play our first three conference games next week on the road, so it's going to be a long, tough week."
Whitman starts NWC play Wednesday afternoon at Whitworth.
Box scoreSophomore Katey Schmitz booted a pair of goals as the Whitman women's soccer team opened its Northwest Conference season with a 4-3 victory at Whitworth Wednesday afternoon.
The victory ran Whitman's season record to 5-0, the best start in the nine-year tenure of Missionary coach Scott Shields. Whitman started ts 1996 season with four straight victories, but that year's Missionaries then lost their fifth game -- and NWC opener -- to Willamette.
Wednesday's loss dropped Whitworth to 1-4 on the season.
The game started on an ominous note for the Missionaries when first-year goalkeeper Anne Owen attempted to clear a ball from just outside the box. Owen's kick caromed off the head of Whitworth's Heather Sale and bounced into the net for a 1-0 Pirate lead at 4:15 mark.
Seven minutes later, Whitman senior Julia Makowski pulled the Missionaries even with her third goal of the season. A nice touch pass from junior Erin Bray set the table for Makowski's goal.
Schmitz, Whitman's leading scorer last season, gave the Missionaries the lead for good with a goal in the 29th minute of play. Bray earned her second assist of the game, and third this fall, with a centering pass.
Building on a 2-1 halftime lead, Whitman struck first in the second half. Junior Kaitlin Varady tallied her first goal of the season at the 50:01 mark to extend the Missionary cushion to 3-1. Junior Sara Weihmann got the assist, her third of the season.
Whitworth turned up the pressure and cut its deficit to 3-2 with a goal in the 72nd minute of play, scoring off a corner kick. But an unassisted, 25-yard scoring strike from Schmitz gave Whitman a 4-2 advantage with less than 15 minutes remaining.
Schmitz, who missed all or most of Whitman's first three games because of injury, has three goals in her last two games.
The Pirates added some late-game drama to Wednesday's contest by notching their third goal on a rebound shot by Sale with about 10 minutes left.
"We feel fortunate to get out of here with a victory," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "Whitworth plays a good system against us, and they applied pressure for much of the game. They took loads of shots, although a lot of them weren't on target. We took advantage of our opportunities and scored some nice goals."
Whitworth outshot the Missionaries 27-8, although the difference was far less dramatic in shots on goal. The Pirates held a 10-7 advantage in that area.
Whitman's Owen was credited with seven saves.
"It's always great to win your first conference game, especially on the road," Shields said.
The Missionaries stay on the road this weekend, playing defending conference champion Willamette on Saturday and Linfield on Sunday.
Box scoreThe Whitman women's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday in Salem, falling 2-0 to the nationally ranked Willamette Bearcats.
The Bearcats, ranked No. 10 in NCAA Div. III, upped their record to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Northwest Conference.
Meanwhile, the Missionaries will take records of 5-1 and 1-1 to Linfield for a Sunday afternoon game.
Whitman battled Willamette on even terms through much of the first half, holding the leading Bearcat scorers in check. But with just under 10 minutes left in the half, sophomore reserve Samantha Lantz took a pass from freshman Brenna Hindman and broke the scoring ice with a shot to the near post.
"The game plan was to stop their primary goal scorers, and we pretty much did that," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "Meghan Bowen on defense stepped up and did a great job. Unfortunately, one of the players off their bench surprised us."
Whitman actually outshot Willamette 6-5 in the opening half. "It was a very even, back-and-forth battle until they scored their first goal," Shields said.
The second half was a different story. "They were all over us to start the half," Shields said. "We tried to change what we had been doing, and it didn't work out too well."
Willamette's Hindman booted her first collegiate goal with just 19 minutes remaining to give the Bearcats a two-goal cushion.
The Missionaries regained the momentum over the final 15 minutes, Shields said. "We had a few good scoring opportunities, but we just couldn't put the ball into the back of the net."
For the game, Willamette outshot Whitman 18-13, which included an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal. Missionary keeper Anne Owen finished with six saves.
Shields said his squad looks forward to taking another crack at Willamette when the Bearcats visit Walla Walla. "We've got a good feel now for what this Willamette team is like. We look forward to playing them on our field, but for now all of our attention goes to playing Linfield on Sunday."
Box scoreAfter opening the season with 19 goals and five straight wins, the Whitman women's soccer team suffered its second straight shutout loss on Sunday, losing 1-0 in overtime to Linfield in McMinnville, Ore.
The loss left both teams with 1-2 records in Northwest Conference play. Whitman dropped to 5-2 on the season while Linfield elevated its season mark to 5-4.
Erica Crossman scored on a 19-yard free kick at 8:03 of
15-minute overtime to give Linfield the victory.
"It was a great shot," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "Our keeper, Anne Owen, really didn't have much of a chance to make a save on it. But it was Anne who kept us in this game. She had a fantastic game -- probably her best game of the season."
The official game statistics showed Linfield outshooting Whitman 17-5 with Owen making 12 saves, nine more than her Wildcat counterpart.
"Linfield kept a lot of pressure on our goal, but we definitely took more than five shots, and their keeper definitely had more than three saves," Shields said. "We probably had nine shots minimum."
Both teams failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities during the 90 minutes of regulation play, Shields said. "After the game, one of their coaches essentially told me it was too bad the game didn't end in a tie. It was just a well played game all the way around."
"Linfield has a very good team," Shields added. "They lost a close game the day before to nationally-ranked Willamette, which shows how competitive our conference is."
Box score
An opportunistic Pacific Lutheran made the most of limited scoring opportunities to slip past the Whitman women's soccer team 3-2 Saturday afternoon at the Whitman athletic fields.
The Lutes raised their Northwest Conference record to 3-1 and their season mark to 6-3. In losing its NWC home opener, Whitman dropped to 1-3 and 5-3.
The loss was a frustrating one for the Missionaries, who outshot Pacific Lutheran 13-6 and enjoyed a 7-3 edge in shots on goal. Whitman keeper Anne Owen was not credited with a single save because the only three shots on goal taken by the Lutes found the back of the net.
The Missionaries also piled up a 10-2 edge in corner kicks.
"We controlled most of the game and played well up and down the field," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "It's very frustrating to know we actually lost."
"We had so many scoring opportunies," Shields added. "We just missed on some good shots, and there were other times when we held the ball too long or tried to make one too many passes. We just didn't capitalize on our chances, while they converted every opportunity they had."
Whitman freshman McKenzie Hoffman opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Kim Boese and Emily Marshall shared the assist.
Andrea Gabler, a PLU freshman, evened the score at 1-1 with an unassisted goal with 4:45 remaining in the first half.
The Lutes took a 2-1 lead at 67:13 when Heidi Lyman punched in a loose ball from five yards out. Whitman's Owen initially made a diving catch of a free kick as the ball sailed across the front of Whitman goal. The ball popped loose, however, when Owen hit the ground.
With just over 10 minutes left to play, the Missionaries knotted the count at 2-2 when Hoffman, controlling a shot that bounced off the corner post, scored from 12 yards out. It was Hoffman's fifth goal of the season.
With the possibility of overtime looming, PLU's Gabler broke free and scored from 12 yards. The game winner, coming with 4:29 remaining, was Gabler's eighth goal of the year.
Whitman's Erin Bray, who had lined a shot just over the crossbar at the 8:27 mark, nearly lobbed a shot over PLU keeper Liz Chase's head with 4:40 remaining. But a leaping Chase made a fingertip grab and finished with five saves.
"PLU is a good team and made some good, quick surges," Shields said. "But it also seemed like it was one of those days where they got most if not all of the bounces. I got a headache just watching this game."
Box scorePuget Sound, ranked No. 7 nationally in the latest NCAA Div. III poll, scored twice in the first 14 minutes of play and rolled to a 4-0 victory over the Whitman women's soccer team Sunday at the Whitman athletic fields.
The Loggers improved to 5-0 in the Northwest Conference and have now outscored their conference opponents by a combined total of 16-0. Puget Sound's only loss this season was a 2-0 defeat at the hands of No. 1-ranked Ohio Wesleyan.
Sunday's loss dropped Whitman to 5-4 on the season and 1-4 in the NWC standings.
"There's a reason they're ranked as high as they are," Whitman coach Scott Shields said, referring to Puget Sound. "They've got great players everywhere, and they've got speed everywhere. They are by far the best team we've played this season, simply because they are strong at every position."
The Loggers outshot the Missionaries 27-5, which included a 15-5 edge in shots on goal.
"We didn't get off a lot of shots, but we did get the ball into some dangerous territory at times," Shields said. "We didn't the shots that presented themselves at times, and then their defense stepped in. One of their coaches said after the game that, except for the one game they lost, we were one of the few teams that managed to get behind their back line of defense."
After Puget Sound moved in front 2-0 with a goal at 13:18 of the first half, Whitman's Katey Schmitz misfired on a scoring opportunity midway through the half. "Had that goal worked out of us, it could have changed the momentum," Shields said.
Puget Sound added its third goal in the 70th minute on a penalty kick. Its fourth goal came with less three minutes remaining.
Anne Owen, Whitman's first-year goalkeeper, made 11 saves on the day.
"We're still not half way through our conference schedule," Shields said. "We need to make some adjustments, but we think we can come back and beat a few of the teams we've lost to."
The Whitman women play on the road the next two weekends. After that, they play their final five games at home.
Box scoreThe Whitman women's soccer team was downed by Pacific Saturday afternoon, 1-0, in a Northwest Conference match. Pacific improved its record to 3-7-2 overall, 2-4 in NWC. Whitman fell to 5-5, 1-5.
The lone goal of the game was scored by Jamie MacLauchlan just ten minutes into the match. She lofted a ball from the left side over goalkeeper Anne Owen just inside the right corner.
The Missionaries controlled every other statistical category, but were unable capitalize on their shots. Whitman finished with 16 shots, eight on goal. Pacific managed just eight shots, three on goal.
Erin Bray led Whitman with six shots, three on goal. Katey Schmitz also added three shots, all of them on goal.
The Missionaries play at George Fox on Sunday at noon.
Box score
After a tough 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Whitman women's soccer team rebounded with a 2-1 victory over George Fox on Sunday. The Northwest Conference victory improved the Missionaries' record to 6-5, 2-5. George Fox is winless this season, 0-9, 0-7.
It was all offense for the Missionaries as 15 of 20 players got off a shot. Kaitlin Varady led the attack with five shots, four on goal, and one goal.
Sara Weihmann opened the scoring in the game with a shot off the crossbar in the 45th minute off an assist from Lauren DeYoung. Varady's goal in the 65th minute made it a 2-0 lead for Whitman. The goal was assisted by Emily Marshall on a corner kick. Pacific's only goal came in the final minute of play.
Whitman travels to UPS and PLU next weekend for Northwest Conference matches.
Box scoreFor the second time in two weeks, Puget Sound defeated the Whitman women's soccer team by a score of 4-0 in a Northwest Conference match. Whitman dropped to 6-6 on the year, 2-6 in conference, while the Loggers improved to 9-2-1, 6-1-1.
"We played a great first half," Whitman coach Scott Shields said. "We played them pretty even, but they got a penalty kick near the end to take the lead."
Although the Missionaries were outshout 8-0 in the first half, the penalty kick in the final two minutes was the only score.
Whitman managed one shot in the second half, but the Loggers fired off 22 en route to a 4-0 victory. Whitman remained within striking distance until the 70th minute, when Dusty Marcell knocked in a rebound off the Whitman post.
"That second goal really took the wind out of our sails," Shields noted. "We didn't play our best soccer for 90 minutes, which is what we needed today."
Whitman's lone shot was taken by Kaitlin Varady. Anne Owen recorded 10 saves during the match, in which UPS tallied a lofty 30 shots. "Anne played great in goal today," Shields said. The Loggers scored their final two goals in the 82nd and 86th minutes.
Whitman finishes its road trip with a 2:30 p.m. match against PLU on Sunday.
Box scoreFreshman McKenzie Hoffman recorded a hat trick Sunday afternoon as the Whitman women's soccer team downed Pacific Lutheran 4-3 in a Northwest Conference match in Tacoma.
Hoffman scored two goals in the first half and added another in the 87th minute as the Missionaries improved to 7-6 overall, 3-6 in NWC. PLU dropped to 6-8, 4-5.
Hoffman's hat trick -- three goals in one game -- is a "first for Whitman women's soccer in a conference match," coach Scott Shields noted. Hoffman has eight goals on the season, putting her fourth in the conference.
Whitman's victory avenged a 3-2 loss to the Lutes last month in Walla Walla. Hoffman scored both Missionary goals in that game. She also scored two goals in an early season game against Montana State-Billings.
"We controlled the game today," Shields said. "Our forwards put a lot of pressure on, and our mid-fielders played great. Sara Weihmann and Jennifer Telfer played very well. Jennifer is really coming on lately -- she keeps playing better and better, and we expect a lot of good things from her this coming weekend."
PLU opened the scoring in the eighth minute on a goal from Brita Lider. Whitman controlled the rest of the half, however, with Hoffman scoring goals in the 22nd and 32nd minutes. Weihmann assisted the first goal and and Katey Schmitz the second. "It was good to see us fight back after being down early," Shields said.
Schmitz scored early into the second half on an assist from Lauren DeYoung. Whitman held a 3-1 lead for most of the second half, until PLU scored an unassisted goal in the 87th minute. The Missionaries responded just 45 seconds later, however, on another Hoffman goal, making it 4-2. Jana Seasman assisted on that goal.
Whitman victimized itself in the 88th minute when a Missionary clearing attempt sailed over keeper Annie Owen's head into the net. The "own goal" pulled the Lutes to within 4-3, but the Missionaries held on for the win.
PLU outshot Whitman 19-17, although the Missionaries had the advantage in shots on goal, 8-7. Owen made four saves in goal for Whitman. Hoffman led the Missionaries in shots with five. Seaman and Schmitz added four apiece, and Weihmann two.
Whitman returns home next weekend, with matches against Linfield and Willamette. Saturday's game with Linfield begins at noon, and Sunday's match starts at 11 a.m.
Box scoreAfter an impressive yet scoreless first half, the Whitman women's soccer team fell to Linfield 3-1 Saturday in Northwest Conference match in Walla Walla.
The Missionaries, despite outshooting Linfield 11-4 in the first 45 minutes of play, failed to capitalize on their scoring chances.
Linfield broke the 0-0 deadlock with scoring strikes in the 52nd and 55th minutes. Whitman's only goal, booted by first-year forward Lauren DeYoung and assisted by senior Jana Seamna, came in the 62nd minute.
"Lauren had a great game all around," Whitman coach Scott Shields said, "and Jana Seaman has really turned it on the last couple of weeks."
DeYoung's goal cut Whitman's deficit to one, but not for long. A penalty kick goal in the 69th minute completed the game's scoring. "Penalty kicks are a lot of time judgement calls," Shields said.
"Linfield just wanted this game more," Shields added. "We were too complacent to start the second half."
Whitman's offense definitely cooled after intermission, producing just three shots. Linfield also found holes in the Missionary defense, creating a total of nine shots in the second half. "We couldn't do anything defensively," Shields said. "We just want to regroup, and see what we can do offensively tomorrow."
Erin Bray led Whitman with three shots, two on goal. For the game, the Missionaries outshot Linfield 14-13, although the Wildcats led in shots on goal, 8-7.
Whitman plays undefeated Northwest Conference rival Willamette at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Box scoreAfter a strong first half, the Whitman women's soccer team gave up three goals in the first 17 minutes of the second half, falling to Willamette 3-0 Sunday afternoon in Walla Walla.
Whitman dropped to 3-8 in Northwest Conference games and 7-8 overall. Willamette improved to 10-0-1 in conference, 14-1-1 overall.
The Missionaries controlled the first half of play, outshooting the nation's No. 7-ranked team by a 7-6 margin. "We outplayed Willamette [in the first half], but we didn't capitalize," Whitman coach Scott Shields said.
The tide turned in the second half. Willamette sophomore Nicole Dahl scored the first of her two goals on a 20-yard shot that got past Missionary keeper Annie Owen. Less than three minutes later, Dahl scored again off of a cross from junior Anne Merten. "Those are the mental lapses that happen in soccer," Sheilds said in reference his defense surrendering a second goal soon after the first one.
Willamette finished the scoring about ten minutes later when junior Cayly Christensen knocked home a rebound from seven yards out.
Shields praised the play of junior midfielder Sara Weihmann, saying her performance was "phenomenal" and "by far the best on the team."
Whitman hosts Pacific and George Fox in a pair of games next weekend. "We need some wins to end the season on a positive note," Shields said.
Whitman's final game, also a home contest, is set for Saturday, Nov. 9, against Whitworth.
Box scoreSophomore Katie Schmitz scored two goals while junior Julia Makowski contributed a goal and an assist as the Whitman women's soccer team rolled over George Fox 5-0 in a Saturday Northwest Conference match in Walla Walla.
Whitman evened its season record at 8-8 and improved to 4-8 in conference play. George Fox, struggling through a tough season, remains winless with records of 0-14 and 0-12.
"Our forwards did a very good job today," praised Whitman coach Scott Shields.
Taking a pass from freshman Lauren DeYoung, Makowski opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a goal from ten yards that got past the Bruin goalkeeper. In the 42nd minute, senior Jana Seaman gave the Missionaries a 2-0 cushion with a nearly identical goal, scoring off a pass from Makowski.
Schmitz, Whitman's leading scorer last season, took over the in second half, making sure that the post-intermission letdowns that had been plaguing the Missionaries did not happen again.
"Today, [Schmitz] was turning and going at the goal," Shields said. The sophomore forward launched a beautiful shot from 20 yards to give Whitman a 3-0 lead in the 58th minute. Three minutes later, junior Sara Weihmann booted her second goal of the season. Two minutes later, Schmitz took a cross and found the right corner of the net to complete the scoring.
Schmitz now has six goals on the season, tying her with DeYoung for second place among the Missionaries. McKenzie Hoffman, also a first-year player, leads the squad with eight goals.
Coming off the bench, freshman Emily Marshall assisted on each of the final three Missionary scores. "We used our bench effectively," Shields said.
Whitman made the George Fox defense work all day. Corie Wulf, whom Shields called "probably the best goalie in the conference," made 12 saves for the Bruins. The Missionaries outshot George Fox 33 to eight, which included a 20-3 in the first half.
Whitman's first-year keeper, Anne Owen, finished with two saves in posting her fourth shutout of the season.
Whitman hosts Pacific at 11 a.m. Sunday. The Boxers won the first game between the two teams, winning on their home field 1-0 in October. "It's going to be a close one," Shields predicted. "We need to play even harder tomorrow than we did today."
Box scoreIn a physical match that saw four Boxers receive yellow cards, Pacific University scored four goals off of set pieces in defeating Whitman women’s soccer team 4-1 Sunday in Walla Walla.
Whitman fell to 4-9 in conference, 8-9 overall. Pacific improved to 4-8-1 in conference, 5-11-2 overall.
“We just came out flat,” said coach Scott Shields. The Boxers, however, came out strong, scoring in the ninth minute when Abby Hunt headed in the first of her two goals off of Kalenani Tutcomb’s free kick. All four of Pacific’s goals came off of direct kicks. “They seem pretty organized,” noted Shields.
Senior Erin Bray evened the game in the 17th minute on a penalty kick after sophomore Katie Schmitz was taken down by a Boxer defender. It was Bray’s first goal of the season.
After that, the Missionaries couldn’t get much else going. “We were giving up a lot of passes,” said Shields. He noted that Pacific’s strong defensive center had something to do with Whitman’s offensive problems, but also said that the Missionaries moved away from their game plan and just looked for what was immediately available. “Tactically, we didn’t play very smart,” said Shields.
The Boxers regained the lead in the 38th minute and extended it to a two-goal advantage three minutes into the second half. A score in the 70th minute made it 4-1, and the game ended without any further goals.
It seemed that Whitman might have a chance to get back in the game in the 67th minute when Boxer Shanell Kawasaki retaliated against Julia Makowski for a foul by kicking the junior forward in the shin. Despite retaliations normally being an automatic ejection, referee Dave Braun decided to issue Kawasaki a yellow card.
Whitman finishes off its season next Saturday at home against Whitworth. The Missionaries won the first battle between the two Eastern Washington schools, 4-3 despite getting outshot 27-8. Shields predicted another tight match. “It’s going to be a hard game for us,” he said. “We’re probably going to have to play our best game of the season to win.”
Box score
The Whitman women's soccer team ended its season on a winning note Saturday, beating Whitworth College for the second time this year, 3-1 in Walla Walla.
Whitman finished at 9-9 on the season, including a 5-9 record in the Northwest Conference. The Missionaries, just a shade behind Whitworth and Pacific, who tied for fourth place with 5-8-1 NWC records.
Saturday's scoring started in the 34th minute when a Whitworth defender, attempting to clear a cross by Whitman freshman Lauren DeYoung, had the ball slither off the side of her foot and into the net. "It gave us a lot of momentum," Whitman coach Scott Shields said, adding at the same time that the Missionaries wanted to make sure the game wasn't decided by Whitworth's own goal.
With that in mind, the Missionaries came out strong in the second half, applying consistent pressure early with an extra forward up front. The strategy paid off almost immediately when sophomore Katey Schmitz turned and fired her seventh goal of the season from 15 yards out, giving Whitman a seemingly comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Whitworth, however, didn't back down, and in the 73rd minute got on the board when Heather Sale headed Dalyce Young's free kick over Whitman's charging keeper, Anne Owen.
The Pirates switched to a "sweeper keeper," inserting Erica McGraw as a goalie who plays out of the box more. Whitman attacked the new defensive formation, and finally broke through in the 87th minute. DeYoung sprinted past the Whitworth defense to take a ball played up and beat McGraw with a left-footed shot into the left edge of the goal.
DeYoung's goal, also her seventh of the season, showed a "great touch," Shields said. The goal gave the Missionaries some breathing room, and they were able to easily close out the remaining few minutes.
While she didn't score Saturday, first-year player McKenzie Hoffman finished with a team-leading eight goals, plus one assist. With seven goals and three assists, DeYoung tied Hoffman for the team lead in points with 17.
Four seniors saw their last action as Whitman Missionaries Saturday, all of whom logged significant playing time: defender Anne Rose Pepper, midfielder Erin Bray and forwards Jana Seaman and Julia Makowski. Although Makowski and Pepper have junior eligibility, they will not be returning as fifth-year seniors. "We're going to miss them," said Shields, praising the seniors as "four good players."
Despite the graduation losses, Shields said that "expectations are high next year," and that competition for vacated spots will be tough. "We've got people fighting for those spots," Shields said, also noting that, "We're expecting a really good freshman class."
Box score