Pirates Hope to Play Themselves into Playoffs
SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University has put together one of the best seasons in school history and the Pirates hope to continue that success through the final week of the season. Whitworth will host Lewis & Clark College on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Whitworth comes into the week 16-3 overall and 13-2 in the NWC after winning two important road matches last week. The Pirates grabbed an early lead then held on to win 2-1 at Willamette last Saturday. Lindsey Oakes (Sr., MF, Boise, Idaho) scored only four minutes into the match to give Whitworth early breathing room. Oakes then fed Jenny Krzymowski (Jr., F, Gallup, N.M.) for an insurance goal in the 75th minute. That goal proved crucial after the Bearcats scored late in a 2-1 Pirate victory. Oakes did it again the next day, scoring just over three minutes into the match at Linfield, her seventh goal of the season. That goal would be all the scoring in Whitworth's 1-0 win. Callie Bergstrom (So., GK, Spokane, Wash.) was credited with one save in the shutout. Playing it Close: Whitworth has gotten used to playing in close matches this season. In 14 of the Pirates' 16 wins this season, the margin of victory has been by a single goal. And nine of those matches have finished with a 1-0 score. Special Season: The Pirates have put together a special season in 2009. Whitworth has earned the best road record in school history at 9-1 this fall, surpassing the 8-1 regular season road record from 2007. The 16 victories is tied for second-most ever in a season. Only the 2007 team (18-3) won more matches and the 1996 squad finished 16-5-2. Strong Defense: With an injury to senior Krista Dietz (Enumclaw, Wash.), sophomore Callie Bergstrom has taken over primary goal-keeping responsibilities. The pair has benefited from the strong play of the back line, led by center-back Anisa Babar (So., Vancouver, Wash.). That combination of strong defensive play and goal keeping has led to a 0.62 goals-against average this season, which ranks second in the NWC. Finding Balance: Eleven different players have scored goals this season for the Pirates, and only four players have tallied more than two goals. Lindsey Oakes leads the team with 20 points (seven goals, six assists), while Sidonia Davin (Jr., F, Kennewick, Wash.) has 12 points (five goals, two assists). The Opponents: Lewis & Clark comes into the final week with a record of 3-10-5 overall and 2-10-2 in the NWC. The Pioneers have struggled with putting the ball in the net and have only 11 goals in 18 matches. Katie Browning and Gina Watkins have three each. On October 9th Whitworth went to Portland and pulled out a 2-1 overtime win after Sidonia Davin scored five minutes into extra time. The Coach: Daman Hagerott is in his second stint and fifth overall season as head coach of the Pirate women. During his four seasons leading the Pirates from 1993-96, Hagerott posted a record of 46-22-5 and won or shared NCIC championships in 1993 and 1995, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in 1995. The 1995 squad finished 13-6-2, while the 1996 team went 16-5-2 and was ranked as high as #2 in the NAIA polls. He coached Janay Mountain (1994) and Jennifer Tissue (1995 and 1996) to NCIC Player of the Year awards. Tissue was an NAIA All-American later selected in the inaugural draft of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). Coach Hagerott's Quotes: Daman Hagerott talks about last week's wins at Willamette and Linfield and what this weekend's match means to the group of seniors playing their final contest at Whitworth. Up Next: Whitworth will await word on a possible at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. That announcement will come Sunday. The Pirates still have a miniscule chance to claim the NWC crown, but 4th-ranked Puget Sound would have to lose twice at home this weekend. Key College Soccer links: Go to Athletics Home Page > Women's Soccer > Sports Releases > |
