Grant Lucas – Sports editor. The Linfield men’s soccer team couldn’t pull out a win Oct. 31 or Nov. 1, as it lost to Whitman College 2-1 and Whitworth University 4-1, respectively.
With their fifth consecutive loss, the Wildcats fall to 5-12-1 overall and 4-9 in Northwest Conference play.
“We played both games well possession-wise,” junior Carter Elhabbassi said. “But we couldn’t finish on the chances we created.”
Linfield attained the early lead against Whitman when senior Travis Isaacs tallied the ’Cats’ lone goal in the 23rd minute. They didn’t threaten for another score the rest of the match.
The Missionaries responded nine minutes later when junior Todd Wallenius tied the game with a cross from freshman Jed Jacobson.
Wallenius wasn’t done yet. Through 80 minutes of play, the game remained tied. Missionary junior Conner Bottomly ripped a shot that was deflected by Wildcat freshman goalkeeper Cody Tipton. After collecting the loose ball, Wallenius found the back of the net for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
Each squad recorded 17 shots, but Wallenius dominated for Whitman with eight attempts.
The Wildcats hosted the NWC first-place Pirates of Whitworth on Nov. 1 with an upset on their minds. The Pirates, however, refused to allow that.
In the 11th minute, Whitworth sophomore Cameron Bushey was fouled in the box by Elhabbassi, resulting in a penalty kick that beat Tipton for the game’s first score.
Whitworth built more momentum in the 23rd minute when senior Keith Kirsch scored off an assist from sophomore Justin Meyer.
With time winding down in the first half, the Pirates extended their lead to 3-0 when Kirsch stole the ball from a Wildcat defender. Kirsch drove down the field and found junior Travis Gutierrez cutting down the left side. Gutierrez took a shot that deflected off the far post and into the net, providing insurance for Whitworth.
Linfield refused to be shut out, however, as Isaacs lofted a free kick into the box that freshman Cody Escott headed into the goal for a 77th-minute score.
The game was put to rest with less than nine minutes left to play. Whitworth freshman Justin Mikkola notched the fourth goal of the match, securing the Pirate victory.
“We were hoping to spoil Whitworth’s season,” Tipton said. “But you can’t always get what you want.”
Linfield wraps up its 2009 season Nov. 7 when it travels to Salem, Ore., to face Willamette University.
Elhabbassi said his aim is to contribute as much as possible for a win against the Bearcats. He said that, as a team, he wants to put Willamette away early to ensure that Linfield’s seniors end their careers on a positive note.
“We all know this is one of the better teams out there because we’ve seen spurts of it during the season,” Elhabbassi said. “We all just want to finish the season off strong while cherishing our last moments as a team.”