SALEM, Ore. – Despite second half goals by Krisna LaFrance and Sean Kim, Willamette University's men's soccer team was unable to overcome a high-scoring first half by the visiting Pirates of Whitworth University, as the Bearcats suffered their first home loss since late September falling by a score of 7-2 Saturday afternoon on Sparks Field.

Prior to today's outcome, Willamette was unbeaten in home games during the month of October as the Bearcats went 1-0-2 in their three games on Sparks Field that included a win against Puget Sound along with ties with Linfield and Pacific Lutheran.

With the result from this afternoon's contest, Willamette falls to 4-8-5 overall and 4-5-4 in Northwest Conference play. Meanwhile, Whitworth improves to 9-6-2 overall and 7-4-2 in conference games.

Whitworth started the game by scoring five goals in the first half, as goals came from Beckett Arthur (5th minute), Jordan Voigt (10th minute), Cameron Gardner (24th minute), and a pair of net-finders by Cole Friesen (28th & 45th minutes). First-half assists were dished out by Clayton Crockett (on Arthur's goal), Christian Waarvick (on Voigt's goal), Friesen (on Gardner's goal), and Cruse (on Friesen's second goal). 

After surrending six unanswered goals in the first 55 minutes of play, Willamette struck for a pair of scores starting with a penalty kick goal by LaFrance in the 57th minute to put the Bearcats on the scoreboard. The goal by LaFrance was his team-leading seventh score of the season.

Just under 20 minutes later, Kim netted his sixth goal of the year off an assist by Evan Mariscal. Mariscal started the play with a pass behind the Whitworth defense, as Kim completed the play with two dribbles before unleashing a left-footed shot that curled into the upper left corner of the goal from 15 yards out.

Willamette's Evan Bierman registered three saves for the Bearcats, while Chase Aiden recorded a game-high seven saves for Whitworth.

Overall, Willamette ended the game with a game-high 23 shots that included nine on-goal. Meanwhile, Whitworth ended the contest with 17 shots that included 10 on-goal. Kim led the Bearcats with nine shots, while Friesen unleashed a team-high five shots for the Pirates.

Willamette will wrap its home regular season schedule on Wednesday, November 6th, against Pacific, but it will honor six seniors before Sunday's match against Whitman College. The senior ceremony is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:50 AM.