PARKLAND, Wash. – Visiting Whitworth had a chance to knock off seven-time defending league champion Pacific Lutheran, but fell 2-1 to the Lutes in a Northwest Conference women's soccer match on Sunday afternoon.

The Lutes improve to 8-1-3 overall and 7-0-1 in the NWC (22 points) while the Pirates fell to 5-4-2, 3-3-2 (11 points).

Whitworth kept the match scoreless in the first half despite the fact that PLU had a 12-1 edge in shots during the opening 45 minutes, including a 4-0 advantage in shots on-goal.  But Pirate goalkeeper Anna Boyer stopped all four Lute attempts.

Whitworth took a 1-0 lead in the 52^nd minute when Kylee Russell scored her fifth goal of the season, and first since the opening weekend, from a double assist by Emma Ellerd and Yacine Bitibale.

PLU tied the match in the 66^th minute when Bella Hanna tallied her third goal of the season from an assist by Julia Causbie.  The same pair teamed up for the match-winning goal in the 87^th minute as Hanna scored her fourth of 2024.

PLU finished with a 26-3 edge in shots, including a 12-2 advantage in shots on-goal.  Boyer ended with 10 saves to keep the Pirates in the match until the end. 

Whitworth will open the second round of Northwest Conference matches on the road at Pacific (Ore.) and George Fox next weekend.