News Release Date:
Friday, November 7

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Whitman College men's soccer team kept its Northwest Conference title hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Pacific University Friday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

Whitman's Simon Quay (#22)

Whitman elevated its NWC record to 8-2-3 (10-2-7 overall) and remains two points behind first-place Whitworth University and its 9-2-2 conference mark. Whitworth knocked off last-place George Fox 5-0 Friday in Spokane.

The regular season ends Saturday with Whitman hosting George Fox and Whitworth welcoming Pacific to Spokane. The Whitworth-Pacific game is set for a 1:30 p.m. start, an hour earlier than the Whitman-George Fox contest.

If Whitman wins and Whitworth loses on Saturday, the Missionaries can celebrate a NWC championship.

A Whitman win and Whitworth tie means the two teams would share the conference title. But the Pirates would get the NWC's automatic berth in the NCAA Div. III national tournament based on their head-to-head record against the Missionaries this season. Whitworth won the first meeting 3-2 in overtime and battled Whitman to a scoreless double-overtime tie in the rematch.

If Whitworth beats Pacific on Saturday, it wins the conference title, regardless of how Whitman does against George Fox. Earlier this season, Whitworth lost a 3-1 decision to Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore.

Whitman scored early and late in Friday's victory over Pacific. After Todd Wallenius finished a crossing pass from Stephen Phillips at the 6:16 mark of the first half, Phillips holed a gimme putt with less than four minutes left in the game to finish off a Cole Rathjen breakaway.

Whitman keeper Brett Axelrod made three saves for his NWC-leading ninth shutout of the season. Axelrod also tops the conference in save percentage and goals against average, and he ranks among the national leaders in both of those categories.

Whitman wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. In the eighth minute of play, Phillips slipped around the right corner of the Pacific defense and slotted a pass to the front of the Boxer goal. Wallenius beat a defender to the ball, clipping it past keeper Andrew Stevermer for his sixth goal of the season. The play gave Phillips his sixth assist of the season, which leads the NWC.

Later in the half, Stevermer made a pair of quality saves on shots by Phillips and Jason Shon. Whitman heldd a slim 7-6 edge in first-half shots, counting a 4-3 differential in shots on goal.

There were fewer shots generated in the second half, although Whitman nearly got its insurance goal with 14 minutes remaining when Phillips crushed a shot off the crossbar.

With less than four minutes left, Rathjen busted loose on the right side of the box, drawing Stevermer forward from the mouth of the goal. Rathjen's quick cross found Phillips wide open on the left for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. 

Phillips led Whitman's offense with three shots, two on goal. Jordan Droppert put both of his shots on goal, and Whitman also got two shots each from Wallenius and Greg Phillips. 

Michael Iacolucci and Travis Birrell took two shots apiece for Pacific. 

Whitman keeper Brett Axelrod beats Pacific's Danny Williams to the ball.  Photos by Greg Lehman

- 30 -

CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu