SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth scored right before halftime to tie the match, then early in the second to take a lead it would not relinquish during a season-opening 3-2 win over visiting Carroll College in women's soccer action late Saturday afternoon.
Kendall Sharp, Riley Martinson and Ireland Eaton all scored their first goal of the season for the Pirates, offsetting a two-goal showing by Carroll's Blair Stapleton.
Sharp gave Whitworth an early lead in the fourth minute when she dispossessed a defender in the Saints' box and beat Carroll keeper Sarah Conway from close range.
Stapleton tied it in the seventh minute when she put back the rebound of a shot by Katie Martin that was saved, but not controlled, by Whitworth keeper Kate Nelson.
Stapleton was in the right place at the right time in the 15th minute when she intercepted a clearing pass near the top of the Pirates' box and beat Nelson with a shot to the top-right corner.
Martinson scored the tying goal for the Bucs in the 45th minute, dribbling through two defenders and shooting into the upper-corner.
Whitworth pressured Carroll for the first ten minutes of the second half and it paid off when the Pirates earned a corner kick. The ball from Macey Morales dropped at the feet of Eaton and she scored from close range in the 54th minute.
Carroll applied heavy pressure in the final 15 minutes, trying to find the equalizer. But Whitworth withstood the pressure, limiting the Saints to only one shot requiring a save in that span.
Carroll finished with a 15-12 edge in shots, 7-5 in shots on goal. They also had eight corner kicks to four for the Pirates.
Nelson made five saves to pick up her first win in goal for Whitworth. Conway made a pair of saves for the Saints.
Whitworth will host Edgewood College on Sunday at 4:15 pm, while Carroll plays Puget Sound on Sunday at 2:00 pm. UPS defeated Edgewood 4-0 in Saturday's early match.
