SPOKANE, Wash. - The Whitworth women's soccer team (4-4-2, 4-2-2) looked strong at home when they defeated the visitng Bearcats (6-5-1, 5-2-1) on their home pitch 3-1 Sunday afternoon.

Katrin Grant (Jr., MF, Salem, Ore.) got the momentum going for the Bucs when she crossed the ball from the right side and found Chloe Cook (Jr., MF, Seattle, Wash.) who converted the header for a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

Both squads came out hot in the second half. Sarah Berentson (Sr., F, Burlington, Wash.) put the ball in the high left corner of the net in the 47th minute to put the Bucs up by two. The next trip down the field Willamette answered with a goal of their own. WU's Ariel Wilson served a cross from the right side and Krista Lauer was able to finsish the play to make it 2-1.Both goals were made within thirty seconds of each other.

In the 63rd minute of play Jackie Day (Fr., MF, Beaverton, Ore.) recovered a loose ball in the box and put it out of reach of the Bearcats' goalkeeper. Day's insurance goal was the last of the match.

The Whitworth offense shot the ball 19 times while the Bearcats were only able to get five on the Bucs' defense. Callile Bergstrom (Sr., GK, Spokane, Wash.) made key saves down the stretch and two total during the game.

Round two of conference play will begin next weekend when the Pirates face Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.