WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Two Whitman College players, forward Kristen Berndt and goalkeeper Courtney Porter have been named Northwest Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for women's soccer.
Berndt, a senior who has led Whitman in scoring the past three seasons, scored two goals and added an assist as the Missionaries opened their NWC season with two victories last weekend.
Porter, a sophomore in her first season as a full-time starter, made a total of 16 saves in the two games and posted her third shutout of the young season in Whitman's 2-0 victory over Linfield.
Berndt (North Bend, Wash.; Mount Si HS) scored the first goal against Linfield and then assisted on Whitman's second goal. She also booted the first Missionary goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Pacific.
Last weekend's offensive production gives Berndt 34 goals and 13 assists in her three-plus seasons. She earned Player of the Week honors twice during her junior season.
Porter's seven saves in the Linfield shutout included stops on two point-blank shots late in the first half, when the game was still scoreless. Her nine saves against Pacific included sliding stops that stuffed two Boxer breakaways.
Porter (Redmond, Wash.; Inglemoor HS) leads the NWC with three shutouts in six games. She is tied for the league lead with 36 saves. A year ago as a first-year player, she made four starts in goal and registered two shutouts.
Whitman, 3-2-1 on the season, hits the road this weekend, playing Saturday at George Fox in Newberg, Ore., and Sunday at Willamette in Salem, Ore. Both games start at noon.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, (509) 527-5902
Email: holden@whitman.edu