Box Score SALEM, Ore. – Whitworth bounced back from its first loss of the season with an impressive 4-0 win over UC Santa Cruz in a match played at Willamette University on Sunday afternoon.
The Pirates improved to 2-1-1 while the Banana Slugs fell to 0-6.
Robby Ubben and Spencer Wolfe each posted a goal and an assist for Whitworth as the Pirates broke away from a 1-0 halftime lead with three second-half tallies.
David Starkovich got Whitworth on the board in the 17th minute with his second goal of the season. He was set up by Ubben and Engle on a nifty across-the-box exchange. Both players were credited with assists.
Early in the second half Sam Selisch flicked on a corner kick to Ubben, who finished from 18 yards away for his first goal of the season.
Wolfe's goal, his first of the year, came in the 77th minute off of an assist by Samual Jarrett. Then Wolfe returned the favor to Rylan Berriman with an assist on Berriman's goal in the 80th minute.
Whitworth outshot UCSC 18-7. The Pirates had nine shots on net, leading to five saves for Santa Cruz keeper Nate Levinson. The Whitworth defense did not give up a single shot on goal, so Shane Nishioka-Healy and Timmy Costa did not have to make a single save for the Pirates' second shutout of the season.
Whitworth will open Northwest Conference play next weekend at Linfield and Willamette on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
