By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- For the second time in as many weeks, the Willamette University and Whitman College men's soccer teams played to a 1-1 tie in two overtimes in Northwest Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 14. The first meeting was played in Walla Walla, Washington, on Sunday, Oct. 1. The rematch was played at Sparks Field on Saturday, but the final result stayed the same.

In the first game, Willamette's Quinn Mello-Bastida (Sr., M, San Jose, CA/Valley Christian HS/U. of Portland) scored the tying goal at 55:58. On Saturday, Peter Stephens of Whitman earned the tying goal at 76:14.

Willamette is now 7-3-2 overall, 6-0-2 in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats remain in first place in the NWC standings with 20 points. Whitman is 4-7-2 overall, 3-3-2 in the NWC.

On Saturday, the teams played a scoreless first half. Willamette owned a 5-1 advantage in total shots at the break, including 2-1 in shots on goal.

The Bearcats moved in front 1-0 at the 68:36 mark when a lengthy throw-in by Joe Plaster (Jr., D, San Diego, CA/University City HS) surged across the goalie box and was deflected into the net by a Whitman player. Each team had two shots in the second half before the own goal.

After the goal, Whitman outshot the Bearcats 5-1 over the reminder of the half. The Blues tied the game with less than 24 minutes remaining. A cross on the ground from the left side found Stephens about eight yards out. Stephens redirected the ball into the goal.

The teams were still tied at the end of regulation, which sent the game into two 10-minute, sudden-death overtime periods. Each team took three shots during the extra sessions. In the first overtime, Jacob Fritz shot high at 92:43 for Whitman and Hijiri Iijima (So., M, Kodamacho, Japan/Honjyodaiichi) shot wide left for the Bearcats at 95:22.

In the second overtime, a corner kick for the Blues led to a shot by Fritz that was blocked near the goal line by a Willamette defender at 101:55. A follow shot by Alex Cooper was wide left. Mello-Bastida took a shot for the Bearcats at 103:30 that was wide right. A shot by Alan Hernandez (Sr., F, Tigard, OR/Tigard HS) of Willamette was blocked at 107::48.

The shooting stats ended as close as the final score, with each team taking 11 total shots and three shots on goal. Willamette earned an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.

Whitman goalkeepeer Owen Davis-Bower registered two saves, both in the first half. WU goalie Marco Gonzalez-Yanez did not make a save, but provided key plays by grabbing several challenging crosses by the Blues. Willamette defenders were credited with two teams saves on shots toward the goal.

The Bearcats will remain at home to take on Whitworth University on Sunday, Oct. 15. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. at Sparks Field.