Box Score
FOREST GROVE, ORE. – An opportunistic first half goal was all it took for Whitman (2-1 NWC, 3-3 overall) to come away with a win over Pacific in a Northwest Conference women's soccer match at Lincoln Park Stadium Sunday.
Senior forward Amy Hasson was simply in the right place at the right time. A 20-yard shot off the boot of junior defender Erin Flannery slipped out of the hands of Boxers' goalkeeper
Brittany Hartmann (Jr., Portland, Ore.), where Hasson punched it in the open goal from point blank range in the 12th minute for the game-winning goal in a 1-0 Whitman victory.
The Boxers (1-1-1, 4-2-1) outshot the Missionaries 18-15 for the match, but put only eight shots on frame on the way to their first NWC loss of the season
Pacific continues to struggle with clear shot opportunities as a pair of one-vs.-one challenges produced no scoring.
“That's our problem” said assistant coach Dane Christian. “It's not Brittany spilling one. We have to look at ourselves and take ownership for what happened today. Too many chances not put away.”
After a fairly even first half, the Boxers' offensive urgency increased as the scoreboard clock ran down, with the majority of the final 15 minutes played on Whitman's defensive half. Although they were able to crowd the penalty area and create several tense moments, quality shots on goal were in short supply.
“We probably challenged for the ball for 15 minutes,” said Christian. “We are not working hard enough and this is home turf.
“Whitman's right outside our gates making a barbeque. It's pretty much like they came inside, slapped us around, they took our meat, they went outside and now they're barbequing on our front lawn. We can't allow that to happen.”
Pacific's best scoring chances came earlier in the second period. In the 56th minute,
Jordan Bodily (Sr., Eagle, Idaho) sent a beautifully-placed, left-footed long ball ahead to
Sarah Tuffey (So., Valencia, Calif.), who carried it to the center and sent a solid strike toward the left post, forcing Whitman goalkeeper Emily Davis to make a tough diving save
Just two minutes later, Hartmann had to make a challenging save of her own, redirecting a shot from the left just outside the near post over the end line. On the resulting corner kick, Hartmann came away from her goal line to clear leaving Flannery with an open goal, but her header after a flick-on looped wide right.
In minute 66, Bodily arced a corner kick deep in the box toward Tuffey, but Davis was able to reach around to punch the ball clear before the sophomore forward could get a touch. With the ball cleared and heading toward the boundary at midfield, a Pacific player was pushed to the turf eliciting howls from the partisan crowd. No foul was whistled, but the Boxers' were able to re-enter the 18-yard zone directly after the throw-in where Tuffey played a ball back to Bodily, whose low strike just missed wide of the left post.
The early-going of the match was a flurry of activity, with the first eight combined shots all forcing the respective goalkeepers to take action.
Kristen Dick (Jr., Auburn, Wash.) missed a golden chance after Whitman's central defender attempted an ill-conceived backheel trap, deflecting the ball into open space directly in front of the Missionaries' goal. Dick pounced on the stray ball but drove her strike well over the crossbar.
Hartmann, who finished with nine saves, was a game-time decision in the lineup after injuring her hamstring in Saturday's 1-1 tie vs. Whitworth.
After a three-game week in which the Boxers went 1-1-1, Pacific is now off until Saturday, Sept. 24 when they take on Willamtte at 2:30 p.m. in Salem in the first game of a five-game road swing.
