Undefeated and leading the Northwest Conference on Saturday, Nov. 1, the Whitman men’s soccer team stepped onto James Hayner Field to compete against rival George Fox — and they made sure their top-dog status went unchanged. Despite chilly, wet and altogether unfavorable playing conditions, the Blues demonstrated their soccer prowess and, with Pacific Lutheran just two points behind in the NWC standings, secured a crucial win in their quest for a conference championship. The game proved more challenging than the Blues’ 4-3 victory against George Fox on Oct. 5, but Whitman pulled through during the second half for a 2-0 sweep. 

Throughout the first half of the game, the Blues persistently pressured George Fox, dominating their opponent’s defensive half of the field. Senior defender/midfielder Jude Clum-Stockton was the first to shoot five minutes into the game with the ball out right. Clum-Stockton was quickly followed up by his eager teammates in an attempt to score, with first-year Remy Marcks shooting at the net four times, each saved by George Fox goalkeeper Chase Nelson.

With the Blues forcing themselves into the Bruins’ den, the opponent began to push back with an on-par game. Junior goalkeeper Niclas Isensee’s field vision played a crucial role in staving off their onslaught. 

“As the goalkeeper you get to see the whole field,” Isensee said. “So it’s my job to organize where everyone is on the field and get them in position because they can’t see behind them[selves].” 

Both teams played an intense back-and-forth battle on the field, while Whitman continued its attacks to create goal-scoring opportunities. Shots from first-year forward William Miranda-Ortiz and sophomore midfielder Alex Evans toward the end of the half were unsuccessful, resulting in a scoreless first half.

The second half of the game commenced with the Blues surging with energy down the field, determined to score a goal, as would George Fox’s team. Both competitors were neck and neck, in a limbo to figure out who would strike first. In particular, Junior midfielder/forward Riki Kobayashi found many on-goal opportunities, getting six shots on goal in the game. 

“Coach has been telling me that if I find space in the middle, tuck into that middle and receive it from the centerbacks,” Kobayashi said. “The center-backs did a great job finding me, [and] the center-mids created space for me to move into. The emphasis was to move forward when we got the ball.”

Approaching 80 minutes, the Blues’ strategy finally paid off. Kobayashi assisted Clum-Stockton’s goal, which generated excitement on and off the field.

Although the Blues had finally broken through, the Bruins were not ready to lose. In an attempt to close the gap, George Fox applied pressure to the Blues’ defenders. But Isensee refused to surrender a goal, completing multiple impressive saves. 

“I really wanted to keep a clean sheet [and] not concede; it’s been a while since we did that,” Isensee said. 

It was the fourth save of the season for Isensee and Whitman. 

With three minutes left to spare in regulation, Kobayashi’s sixth shot found its way past Nelson to put the game away. 

“When I get the ball, the first thing [I do] is look up [and] and try to find strikers, and they also did a great job checking in and showing [communicating that they were open]. It made it easy for me; facing forward and going forward was the mindset that I had,” Kobayashi said. 

With one final free kick from George Fox and a dwindling clock, Isensee saved the ball.

“Even though we were up 2-0, with the free kick in the end, I just wanted to stay focused even though there [were] only a couple of seconds left because every second matters,” Isensee said. 

Isensee and Kobayashi liked the domination that the team showed in the second half.

“I was happy that we got the shot off in the end to make one more,” Isensee said. “It was a good team win.”

“We moved the ball pretty well side to side [and] we kept possession and the counterpress when we lost the ball,” Kobayashi said. “We… dominated them in shots and we were in their half most of the time.”

The team excelled at controlling the pace of the game, something they’ve been doing all season long and which has paid dividends for their success. Now, with three games remaining in regular season play, Whitman, the undisputed powerhouse of the NWC, is still alive for a chance at an undefeated season with a sterling 12-0-2 conference record.