Whitman’s soccer teams stepped up to the challenge to face the Whitworth Pirates in the “Battle of the Whits” on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The men’s team competed on their home turf, earning a 3-1 victory, while the women’s team took the fight to Spokane, tying the Pirates 1-1. Both teams fought hard to escape defeat and asserted command over the flow of their games. 

Upon taking the field to face Whitworth, the men’s team asserted defensive dominance from the jump. The Pirates controlled possession throughout the opening 20 minutes of the first half, but the Blues’ defense didn’t allow any scoring threats. Whitman effectively utilized their offensive possessions by setting up scoring opportunities and pressuring the Pirates’ defense, eventually resulting in the Blues’ first goal of the game 25 minutes into the first half.

With Whitman pressuring the Pirates’ defense inside the box, senior midfielder Lucas McAllister found junior midfielder Fernando Lopez-Vega in a great position for a shot that found its way past the Pirates’ goalkeeper and into the bottom left corner of the goal.

“McAllister took a great touch to draw away three players,” Lopez-Vega said. “I shot it, hoped for the best and found the back of the net.”

McAllister credited the team’s ball movement as a crucial factor in putting the Blues on the board.

“It was really great movement from the team,” McAllister said. “I drew one of the center backs, and [Lopez-Vega] made a good run underlapping, and it opened space with good movement from the team.”

Whitman finished out the first half strong with great defensive plays, shutting down a breakaway from the Pirates thanks to junior goalkeeper Niclas Isensee’s stout defense. 

Whitman carried their dominance into the second half, continuing to pressure the Pirates. Seven minutes into the half, Whitworth was called for a handball, resulting in an indirect free kick. The Blues got creative with their attempt, making a fake pass to divert Whitworth’s defense and allow junior defender Pablo Gonzalez Jr. to get the ball to senior defender Jude Clum-Stockton, who buried it in the back of the net.

With Whitman now possessing a two-goal lead, Whitworth began to apply more offensive pressure. The increase in attacks paid off for the Pirates when junior midfielder Lucas Joehnk slipped past Whitman’s defense for a goal.

“I think it’s the decision making,” Head Coach Jose Cedeno said regarding Whitworth’s goal. “It’s something that we’ve got to talk about, go through the film and fix.”

The Blues’ momentary lapse was luckily short-lived. Whitman was quick to regain their two-goal lead, with McAllister helping to orchestrate the scoring opportunity. First year forward Remy Marcks scored from the right side of the box off an assist from Lopez-Vega, widening Whitman’s lead and securing their victory.

“It was a great all around play from McAllister; he’s kind of the creator on our team,” said Lopez-Vega. “He drew [their defense] down the line, cut the ball back to me, and I saw my teammate Remy ready to finish it.”

Whitman’s victory secured bragging rights over the Pirates in the Battle of the Whits rivalry—but more importantly, it was their 16th consecutive game without a loss this season.

The women’s team took their talents on the road to face Whitworth in Spokane. The Blues wasted no time making their presence known, spending much time in the offensive zone. Four of Whitman’s seven shots in the first half occurred in the first 20 minutes of the game, but none were able to find the back of the net.

“Whitworth had a hard time trying to figure out our game plan,” Head Coach Michelle Voiland said. “We played with a different formation, had a nice press going and created a lot of opportunities.”

This balanced style of play created shot opportunities while also shutting down Whitworth’s offense. 

In the second half, Whitman made adjustments to create more scoring opportunities. The game continued at a relatively even pace until the Blues got on the board with a goal by junior midfielder Emoree Lash off an assist from senior defender Ella Johnson. 

Less than five minutes after gaining the lead, however, Whitworth junior forward Faith Shaw scored on a pass from senior defender Lily Parker. The Blues were forced to settle for a draw. 

“Obviously we’d like to have more wins, but we’re in all of the games creating moments, and it just comes down to taking advantage of those opportunities,” Voiland said. “We beat [Whitworth] at home one to zero, but we’ll take the tie on the road.” 

The draw against Whitworth leaves Whitman in 5th place with a 2-3-6 record.