SPOKANE, Wash. – Trailing for most of the first three quarters of the match, Whitworth outscored visiting Linfield 6-2 in the final period for a 15-12 win over the Wildcats in a Northwest Conference lacrosse match on Saturday afternoon at the Pine Bowl.
Sierra Witte scored a pair of goals six seconds apart midway through the fourth quarter to give the Pirates (9-3 overall, 5-2 NWC) a lead they would not relinquish. Whitworth clinched a winning season record for the first time in school history.
Linfield (4-6 overall, 2-5 NWC) took a 3-1 lead in the first, thanks to a pair of early tallies from Gabby Crist. Abby Hahn responded with a free position goal and Campbell Vincent got her first of the match from an assist by Witte to tie the contest 3-3 through one quarter.
The Wildcats got goals from Crist and Maizri Chandler to retake a two-goal advantage (6-4) late in the second, but Whitworth again came back to tie the contest by halftime. Vincent scored back-to-back goals for the Bucs, the second with 1:47 left, to create a 6-6 deadlock at the break.
Linfield retook two-goal leads twice in the third quarter. Crist and Chandler combined to make it 8-6, but Caitlin Smith scored consecutive goals 20 seconds apart from assists by Abby Hahn to tie it back up (8-8). Mackenzie Kulick scored two in a row for the Wildcats, the second with only 21 seconds left in the period, for a 10-8 Linfield lead. The Pirates were able to win the draw and Vincent scored off an assist by Kenzie Hemman with five seconds left to get the Bucs within 10-9.
That momentum carried over into the fourth quarter. Megan Whitman scored to make it 10-10 and Rebecca Irwin gave Whitworth its first lead of the match with 12:17 to go. After Mya Wright tied the contest for Linfield, Witte worked her quick magic with just under six minutes to play. She scored with 5:56 left, then won the draw and raced upfield. Her pass from outside the circles wasn't fielded by either team and sailed into the net for a second straight goal at 5:50.
Chandler's final goal got the Wildcats within 13-12 with 4:15 to play, but Irwin answered with a goal off a Linfield turnover and then Abby Hahn scored the clincher with 1:54 to play.
Whitworth outshot Linfield 36-23, including a 14-3 edge in the final quarter. As they have all season, the Pirates dominated on draw controls, winning 23 out of 31. Hemman and Whitman won seven draw controls apiece. Hemman also caused four turnovers and had five ground balls.
Vincent led Whitworth with four goals and now has 37 this season, while Witte had three goals and an assist. Hahn finished with two goals and two assists.
Crist had four goals for Linfield and Chandler had three.
Whitworth will take on league-leading George Fox on Sunday at 1:00 pm.
