SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University scored six fourth-quarter goals to pull away from visiting Linfield in an 11-6 Northwest Conference women's lacrosse win on Sunday afternoon at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.
It was a milestone victory for the Pirates (3-1 overall, 2-0 NWC), who earned their first-ever win over the Wildcats (0-2, 0-2) and their first ever 2-0 conference start in the five-year history of the program.
Kenzie Hemman and Sierra Witte scored three goals apiece, while Rebecca Irwin dished three assists for the Bucs.
Whitworth scored on its first possession as Hemman flipped in a shot off a pass from behind the goal by Grace Curley. Witte made it 2-0 six minutes later with an assist by Liliann Penfield.
Erynn McCurdy pulled Linfield within 2-1 on a free position goal with 5:27 left in the second, but Anna Chase answered with a free position goal for Whitworth less than 15 seconds later. After the Pirates won the draw control, Curley made it 4-1 quickly thereafter. McCurdy scored again, unassisted, to get the Wildcats within 4-2 at halftime.
Hemman scored the first goal of the second half to make it 5-2 in Whitworth's favor, but Linfield's Joelle Fineman and Maizri Chandler tallied goals to pull Linfield within 5-4.
Chandler's second goal, early in the fourth, tied the match 5-5. Witte and Nikki Beers converted free position goals for the Pirates less than a minute apart to give the Bucs a 7-5 lead. Mackenzie Kulick scored with the 'Cats a player up to make it a one-goal margin with eight minutes left.
Whitworth stood up to the challenge and put the match away with four straight goals. Megan Whitman scored the Pirates' only player-up goal with 6:50 to go. Irwin scored unassisted just over a minute later. Irwin then assisted on the last two goals, one each by Hemman and Witte.
The defenses made things difficult for both teams to sustain possession for much of the match. Whitworth finished with 32 turnovers to Linfield's 31.
The Pirates won 14 draw controls to only eight for the Wildcats. Witte had six and Whitman had five.
Whitworth will put its hot start to the test when the Pirates host Whitman College on Wednesday at 3:00 pm.
