WALLA WALLA, Wash. --- Linfield women's soccer (8-3-5, 6-3-3 NWC) capped off the weekend road trip on Sunday at the Whitman Blues (3-4-9, 2-3-7 NWC), as both teams remained scoreless following the 90-minutes of play.
Linfield wasted no time taking control of the match, firing six shots and earning five corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes. Midfielder
Mia Curtaz and defender
Parker Vale set the tone early, each forcing saves within the first ten minutes.
Julia Alvarez and
Sydney Garner also created scoring opportunities, but Whitman goalkeeper kept the match scoreless, recording six saves before halftime.
Defensively, goalkeeper
Alexa Fritz made three saves in the first half, including back-to-back stops in the 16th and 18th minutes to turn away Whitman's only real threats. The back line of
Reese Jones,
Sofia Pietrok, and
Parker Vale helped limit the Blues to three total first-half shots while Linfield held a sizable advantage in possession.
Whitman came out stronger after the break, challenging Fritz with seven shots in the second half. The Linfield keeper rose to the occasion, tallying five saves after halftime and finishing with eight on the day to earn her seventh shutout of the season, the third-most in the NWC.
Linfield continued to apply offensive pressure, generating four second-half shots and five more corner kicks. Curtaz came close again in the 48th minute, and Garner nearly broke through in the 50th minute with a low shot that forced a diving stop from Whitman's second-half goalkeeper. Despite multiple dangerous crosses and sustained late possession, Linfield couldn't find the finishing touch.
The Wildcats out-shot Whitman on-goal, with nine of their attempts landing on target. Linfield held a 10-9 edge in corner kicks and committed just five fouls compared to the Blues' six. Fritz recorded eight saves in 90 minutes to secure the shutout, while Curtaz, Garner, and Vale each registered multiple shots on goal
The 'Cats return home, where they will play three of their final four matches at home, hosting Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound next weekend in McMinnville at 12 p.m. each day.
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