SPOKANE, Wash. --- Linfield women's soccer (8-3-4, 6-3-2 NWC) made a late comeback, but their three-match win streak was snapped on the road, falling to the Whitworth Pirates, 2-1 on Saturday.
Linfield began the match well, stringing together quick passes through the midfield and forcing early defensive action from Whitworth. However, the hosts struck first in the sixth minute from the top of the box after a deflected pass found space, giving Whitworth a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats continued to push forward, earning three corner kicks in the opening half and maintaining steady pressure.
Kama Samudio had Linfield's best look in the 39th minute, sending a shot just wide of the left post. Defensively, goalkeeper
Alexa Fritz made a diving save in the 14th minute to deny the Pirates and keep the deficit at one.
The Wildcats carried renewed energy into the second period, earning early corners in the 46th and 50th minutes and continuing to test Whitworth's defensive shape. Fritz made a pair of saves to keep Linfield within striking distance, including a stop on a close-range shot from Kayla Santa Monica in the 54th minute.
Whitworth extended its lead in the 74th minute, scoring off of a header from a corner kick, doubling the Pirates' advantage to 2-0.
Linfield refused to go quietly, and its persistence finally paid off in the closing moments. In the 89th minute, midfielder
Mia Curtaz bent a free kick from the right edge of the penalty area into the top-left corner, pulling the Wildcats within one and giving them life in the final minute of regulation. The goal marked Curtaz's second of the season, while still leading the NWC in assists.
It was too-little, too-late, though, as Whitworth was able to close out the final minute and take the match, 2-1.
Linfield outshot Whitworth 10-7 overall, with Curtaz and
Fia Swanson accounting for the team's two shots on goal. Fritz finished with three saves in 90 minutes, while the Wildcats generated six corner kicks compared to Whitworth's six.
Linfield finishes up the road trip tomorrow afternoon in Walla Walla, set to face the Whitman Blues at 12 p.m.
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