SPOKANE, Wash. - The Whitworth women's soccer team fell in a tight, low-scoring contest for the second consecutive match with a 1-0 loss to visiting Puget Sound on Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Soccer Field.

Puget Sound, ranked No. 19 nationally in the most recent NSCAA poll and champions of the last 13 Northwest Conference titles, improved to 6-0-3 overall and 2-0-3 in NWC action. Whitworth (5-5-0, 3-3-0) lost by a score of 1-0 for the second straight match.

Puget Sound's Grayson Williams-Krebs netted the match-winning goal in the 50th minute for her second goal of the season. She sent a low, bouncing shot from the left side of the field near the top of the 18-yard box through the legs of teammate Lura Morton and into the back of the net. The rolling shot looked as if it may be redirected or stopped, but Morton was well-positioned among a crowded box within goalkeeper Andrea Stump's line of sight and the ball went untouched into the goal.

Whitworth came close to taking the lead twice in the first half. A long-distance strike from Tiara Pajimola hit the crossbar in the 22nd minute and later in the half Pajimola blasted a one-timer shot from five yards out that was saved with a deflection by Puget Sound goalkeeper Lauren Thomas.

Both teams played solid defense and limited good offensive looks throughout the contest, though Williams-Krebs nearly doubled the lead for Puget Sound in the 58th minute when she hit the crossbar with a shot. Puget Sound entered the match with the lowest goals-against average in the conference and the Pirates have allowed more than one goal in a match just once all season. 

Stump made four saves while Thomas collected five saves to record her seventh shutout of the season.

Each team totaled 10 shots in the match and both teams put five shots on goal. The match featured just five fouls committed between the teams and no offside calls.

The Pirates return to action at noon on Sunday, hosting Pacific Lutheran.