Box ScoreWALLA WALLA, Wash. – A fourth minute goal by Clara Merlino served as the winner for Whitman College as the Missionaries topped Pacific University 2-0 in Northwest Conference women's soccer action.
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Merlino collected a through ball from teammate Lena de Guzman and slotted her shot to the right of Pacific goalkeeper
Kristina Morris (So., Molalla, Ore.) to put Whitman up 1-0.
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The Boxers looked to answer three minutes later as
McKenna Davidson (Jr., Kailua Kona, Hawaii) forced Whitman's Haley Case to make a save in the seventh minute. Pacific also threatened in the 18
th minute when
Lyndsey Watanabe's (Jr., Waipahu, Hawaii) header was stopped by Case.
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The two sides exchanged looks over the remaining 27 minutes, before the half ended with a 1-0 Whitman advantage.
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The second period featured an early look from Whitman, but Brianna Brown sailed her shot over the goal. Both sides managed shots over the opening 20 minutes of the second period, but only Pacific's
Kathleen McIntyre (So., Portland) was able to place a shot on frame as Case was forced into another save.
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Whitman added an insurance goal in the 70
th minute when Brianna Brown one-timed a shot off the near post, where Danielle Wieck pounced on the rebound and placed a shot into the back of the net.
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Pacific pushed to answer the Missionaries second goal, forcing Case into a pair of saves in the 81
st minute, but saw time expire on their comeback.
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The Boxers outnumbered the Missionaries in corner kick opportunities 9-5 on the afternoon.
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McIntyre lead Pacific with three shots on goal, while
Kamryn Plechot (Sr., La Palma, Calif.) joined Davidson and Watanabe with one shot on goal apiece. Morris recorded four saves in goal for the Boxers.
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Pacific returns home on Saturday as the Boxers play host to Pacific Lutheran at 11 a.m
