By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University won a high-scoring game with Northwest Conference rival Whitworth University, 17-15, on Saturday, April 15, as the Bearcats built a 9-5 halftime lead and held off the Pirates at Sparks Field. Willamette never trailed.
Tati Klenk (Sr., ATT, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) scored five goals for the Bearcats, giving her 62 goals for the season. Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) added four goals for Willamette, while Maddie Garcia (Sr., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy) and Claire Kisielnicki (Fy., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS) each contributed three goals. The Bearcats improved to 11-4 overall and to 8-3 in the NWC. Whitworth dropped to 6-10 overall, 4-7 in the NWC.
Willamette led by four or five goals for much of the game, but the Pirates reduced the margin to 11-8 on a goal by Megan Whitman with 2:35 left in the third quarter and 17-14 on a goal from Grace Gurley with 1:58 to go in the game. Whitworth moved within 17-15 when Nikki Beers hit the net for a player-advantage goal with 16 seconds left, but the Pirates didn't get another chance to score.
Klenk has scored 26 goals in Willamette's last four games. The Bearcats are 4-0 in those contests while scoring a total of 78 goals (19.5 avg.). WU has recorded 229 goals during its 15 games so far this season.
Bachiochi opened the scoring in Saturday's game just 23 seconds after the opening draw. Klenk scored on an assist from Garcia with 11:47 remaining in the first quarter, and Garcia tallied a goal on a free-position shot with 9:45 on the clock. Sierra Witte soon tallied Whitworth's first goal at the 9:22 mark, but Klenk scored a player-advantage goal at 7:56 while Whitman was serving a penalty, increasing Willamette's lead to 4-1.
Rebecca Irwin pulled the Pirates within 4-2 when she scored with 4:39 left in the first quarter. Willamette earned the first four goals of the second quarter, as Kisielnicki, Garcia, Bachiochi, and Catie Kawamura registered the scores.
Willamette's 8-2 lead was shortened to 9-5 after Whitworth ended the half on a 3-1 run. Two of the goals -- one for each team -- were tallied in the final minute of the half, with Kawamura scoring for Willamette with 51 seconds left and Witte scoring for Whitworth at the 31-second mark.
The Bearcats tacked on the first two goals of the third quarter to extend their advantage to 11-5 with 8:54 on the clock. Whiworth put together a 3-0 run on a goal by Kenzie Hemman and two goals by Whitman. Garcia put in a free position shot for Willamette with 30 seconds to play in the quarter, giving the Bearcats a 12-8 edge.
Klenk provided the next goal with 13:34 remaining in the game. The Pirates eventually pulled within 15-12 after Beers scored back-to-back goals at 9:07 and 7:25. Klenk responded with her fourth and fifth goals of the game at 5:32 and 3:07, as Willamette's lead reached 17-12.
For Whitworth, the top goal scorer was Whitman with four goals and one assist. Curley earned three goals and three assists, while Witte and Hemman scored two goals apiece.
Willamette goalkeeper Shelby Sawyer (Sr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) made 12 saves for the Bearcats. Hannah Lew of Whitworth, who was in goal for the Pirates in the first quarter and all of the second half, registered eight saves in 45 minutes. Sage Fosnock was in goal for Whitworth in the second quarter and achieved one save.
Whitworth gained a 36-32 edge in total shots, including a slim 27-26 margin in shots on goal. The Pirates also claimed a 27-10 lead in draw controls, while the Bearcats held a 21-17 advantage in ground balls. Willamette was 5 for 7 on free position shots and Whitworth was 3 for 6. In player-advantage situations, Willamette was 2 for 2 and Whitworth was 3 for 3.
The Bearcats will close the regular season by hosting Whitman College at Sparks Field on Sunday, April 16. Game time is set for 1 p.m. (PDT). It will be Senior Day for the Bearcats.
