SPOKANE, Wash. – The Lutes used a pair of second half goals from Alyssa Leong and Julia Causbie, and Pacific Lutheran held off the Pirates 3-2 on Saturday to get its ninth straight win over Whitworth.
PLU (10-2-1 overall, 8-1 NWC) stretched its win streak to seven and remain atop the NWC standings as they seek their seventh straight conference title. They have 24 points on the year, holding a four-point lead over second-place Puget Sound.
Whitworth (4-6-1 overall, 4-5) saw its two-game win streak snapped despite threatening the Lutes down the stretch with an equalizer in the 53rd and a goal to draw within one in the 81st minute.
Lily Dose got things going for the visiting Lutes early with a slicing attack to beat multiple defenders before burying a shot in the top left corner to give PLU a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. The Lutes outshot the Pirates 8-1 in the first half despite controlling just 49% of the possession.
Whitworth scored the equalizer in the 53rd after Emmy Moore's free kick was bobbled by PLU's keeper and tapped in by Laura Pierson among a crowd of players in the box. The Pirates had life momentarily, but PLU responded in lightning fashion to create some separation.
Causbie scored the go-ahead goal in the 59th after her shot slipped right through the arms of the normally sure-handed Kate Nelson. Leong, assisted by Hannah Cecil, capitalized on the momentum moments later finding the back of the net in the 62nd to give Pacific Lutheran a 3-1 advantage.
Whitworth threatened once more as Kylee Russell cleaned up a deflected shot by Maia Santa Monica in the 81st to bring the Pirates to within a goal. They had an opportunity to tie things late, but were turned over on a throw-in, and the Lutes hung on.
PLU will look to finish off a road sweep with a win over Whitman on Sunday while the Pirates will get another shot to shake up the standings at home against Puget Sound.
