News Release Date:
Saturday, October 17

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- A swarm of Whitman College termites nearly chewed through Puget Sound's undefeated women's soccer season Saturday afternoon, but the Loggers got a goal from Janece Levien in overtime to escape with a 2-1 victory at the Whitman Athletic Fields.

Corina Gabbert

Down 1-0 at halftime, Whitman pulled even early in the second stanza when superlative senior Corina Gabbert outran three defenders to a pass from senior teammate Liz Forbes and lofted a left-footed scoring strike from just outside the 18-yard box. The ball sailed from left to right into the upper corner of the far post, giving Gabbert six goals in her last four games.

Liz Forbes

That was it for the scoring until Levien, a Puget Sound graduate student and its all-time leading scorer, took a change of direction pass from Jenny Moore to the left corner of the 18 and chipped a winner just inside the far post.

And that keeps the Loggers, ranked No. 2 nationally in NCAA Division III, perfect on the season, stretching their record to 12-0 overall and 9-0 in the Northwest Conference.  

Hard-luck Whitman, losing by a single goal for the fifth time this conference season, slipped to 4-8-1 and 3-7.

Courtney Porter

With Levien uncorking 12 shots, Puget Sound sprayed a total of 28 shots around the field. Whitman keeper Courtney Porter kept her side in the game, making saves on nine of the 11 shots the Loggers put on goal.

Puget Sound outshot Whitman 15-5 in the first half, although the Missionaries came close to scoring on a few opportunities. Midway through the half, Gabbert crushed a ball from outside the 18 that sailed over the crossbar. Late in the half, Marisol Fonzeca got her foot on a Libby Watkins corner kick and sent it just over the bar.

DeeDee McCormick

Abby Goss, a Puget Sound sophomore, took just one of those many Logger shots, but it was a big one.

With the game still scoreless and the first-half clock winding down, Goss got loose on the left side of the 18 and smoked a 10-yard bullet to the far post. The assist went to Mikaela Freeman, who leads the NWC in that statistical category with 10.

Gabbert, who took four of Whitman's 10 shots, has booted seven of her team-high eight goals in her eight NWC games. She trails only Levien, who has 10 goals in 10 conference games.

Kendall Shibuya

Prior to the start of the game, Whitman honored its five seniors and their families. Playing their final season for the Missionaries are Gabbert, Forbes, Porter, DeeDee McCormick and Kendall Shibuya.

Whitman stays at home Sunday to host Pacific Lutheran in a game that starts at noon at the Whitman Athletic Fields. Puget Sound plays at the same time Sunday at Whitworth, which slipped past PLU 2-1 on Saturday. 

Box score

- 30 - 

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