SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth's Megan Whitman scored an insurance goal with just over one minute to play and Nikki Beers won the final draw control with less than 25 seconds to go to clinch a hard-fought 13-12 win over visiting Whitman in a Northwest Conference women's lacrosse match on Wednesday evening in the Pine Bowl.
The Pirates (10-4 overall, 6-3 NWC) moved two games ahead of the Blues (8-6, 4-5) for third place in the conference standings. Whitworth also earned its first-ever win over Whitman in Spokane and swept the season series between the teams. The Bucs also reached double figures in victories for the first time in school history.
Campbell Vincent tied her own single-game school record with six goals for Whitworth.
After Olivia Banuelos scored the match's opening goal for the Blues, Whitworth scored three straight and Whitman would never lead again in the contest. Vincent scored three goals in the opening quarter to help the Pirates take a 6-2 lead after one period.
The Blues scored the first three goals of the second quarter to pull within 6-5 before Kenzie Hemman finally broke through for the Bucs with less than three minutes to go in the half. She converted a free position shot with the Pirates a player down. Banuelos scored soon after to get Whitman back within 7-6, but Vincent tallied her own free position goal with seven seconds to play in the half for an 8-6 Pirate advantage at halftime.
A defensive third quarter saw the two teams trade goals two times to keep Whitworth up by two goals. Whitman's Madeleine Sherry, the NWC's leading scorer, tallied her 70th goal of the season at the end of the third to pull the Blues within 10-9 heading to the final quarter.
Whitman scored three of the first four goals of the fourth quarter to tie the match 11-11 with just over nine minutes to play. Sherry had a goal and an assist in that run. Vincent's final goal of the match, from an assist by Abby Hahn, put the Pirates back ahead with 5:21 to play. Megan Whitman converted her free position attempt with 1:01 left for a two-goal advantage. Banuelos scored the Blue's final goal with 24 seconds left, but Beers secured the draw control for Whitworth and the Pirates were able to run out the clock.
Whitworth outshot Whitman 37-26, but Korin Wheaton made 17 saves for the Blues. Sage Fosnock had five stops for the Bucs.
The Pirates forced 25 Whitman turnovers, to help offset a 19-8 advantage in draw controls for the Blues.
Amelie Deese came up with a career-high six ground balls for Whitworth. Megan Whitman added three caused turnovers and two ground balls to her pair of goals.
Sherry finished with a team-high four goals for Whitman, while Banuelos had three.
The Pirates will close out the week with a match at Puget Sound on Saturday afternoon.
