By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

TACOMA, WASH. -- Willamette University's women's soccer team closed out its opening four-game Northwest Conference road trip with a 5-2 loss at the hands of conference-leading University of Puget Sound (Wash.) Sunday at Peyton Field.

With the win, Puget Sound improves to 6-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in Northwest Conference games. Meanwhile, Willamette falls to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in NWC matches.

After falling behind 2-0 in the opening 26-plus minutes, Willamette scored two unanswered goals when Sarah Desautels (Sr., MF/F, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Park HS) netted her first goal of the season off an assist by Jill Phillips (Jr., MF/GK, Fairbanks, AK/West Valley HS) at 30:59.

Just under 12 minutes later, Kinsey Keene (So., MF, Eagle, ID/Eagle HS) scored an unassisted goal, her first of the season, at 42:41 that knotted the game at 2-2.

Heading into halftime with the score knotted at 2-all, Willamette had held the high-scoring Logger offense at bay with UPS registering only nine shots compared to the Bearcats' six. UPS has earned one more corner kick (2-to-1) than Willamette, while the two teams combined for just seven fouls.

The second half would be completely different for Willamette, as Puget Sound stepped up its offensive and defensive pressure. The Loggers would score three unanswered goals that included the game-winner a mere 45 seconds into the second period.

Puget Sound would add two more goals within a 24-minute span extending its lead to a game-ending three goals, 5-2.

WU goalkeeper Emily Sewall (So., GK, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) suffered the loss despite registering a game-high nine saves, while Puget Sound's Lauren Thomas earned the victory behind a pair of saves in between the pipes for the Loggers.

Overall, Puget Sound ended the game with a 15-shot advantage (21-to-6) that included a 12-0 difference in the second half. UPS earned the edgein corner kicks (5-to-1), while Willamette was whistled for 17 fouls compared to Puget Sound's seven.

Willamette will kick off its Northwent Conference home opener on Saturday, Oct. 4, against George Fox University (Ore.). Game time is slated for 12 p.m. (PDT) on Sparks Field in Salem.