Whitworth edges Boxers

Whitworth scored two goals in the final 8 minutes and the two-time defending champion Pirates opened Northwest Conference men’s soccer play Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Pacific Boxers.

Pacific (4-2) took a 1-0 lead in the 75th minute on a goal by Travis Birrell.

Whitworth (3-1-1) knotted the score in the 82nd minute on a goal by Nate Spangler.

Elly Bulega delivered the winner with 2:15 left to play when he took a pass from Justin Meyer and scored into a wide-open net.

Women’s soccer

Stacy Hamer tallied a goal and an assist to propel the Whitworth Pirates (5-1, 2-0) to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Pacific Boxers (2-3-1, 1-1) in Northwest League play.

The Pirates struck early – in the seventh minute – when Hamer crossed a short pass to Elizabeth Mattila, who notched her first goal of the season.

Whitworth increased the lead to 2-0 in the 24th minute when Jenny Krzymowski took a pass from Lindsey Oakes and scored her first goal of the season.

Hamer capped the scoring with a goal in the 55th minute off a pass from Sarah Berentson.

•Tabitha Grow scored the only goal as CC Spokane beat host Tacoma 1-0 in the NWAACC.

Volleyball

Hayley Hills had a match-high 21 kills to go along with 11 digs and Ashley Hamilton totaled 34 assists to power the Eastern Washington Eagles (6-5, 2-0) to a 25-14, 25-21, 25-17 sweep over the visiting Montana State Bobcats (2-9, 0-2) in Big Sky Conference play.

•The Idaho Vandals dropped a pair of matches at the Mission Inn of Pismo Beach Invitational in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The Vandals (4-7) fell to UC Santa Barbara (8-2) 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, 25-21 in the opener and then dropped a 21-25, 21-25, 25-13, 30-28 decision to host Cal Poly (4-9).

•Jessie McGraw had 12 kills and 15 digs and Molly Blankenship added 11 kills and four blocks to propel the visiting Willamette Bearcats (4-6, 1-1) to a 25-10, 25-21, 18-25, 25-15 win over the Whitworth Pirates (4-9, 0-2) in Northwest Conference action.

•Bellevue knocked off CC Spokane 25-22, 14-25, 15-9 in the championship match of the Bellevue Crossover tournament. Nicole Graybeal of CCS had 16 kills and was named to the all-tournament team.

Cross country

Alex Smyth’s fourth-place finish and Kyle King’s seventh-place effort helped the Eastern Washington Eagles men earn third place at the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park in Seattle.

Smyth finished the 8,000-meter run in 24 minutes, 11.41 seconds, while King clocked a 24:18.97.

Kelly Spady of the host Washington Huskies won the race in 23:54.94.

Markus Geiger (24:35.19) finished 11th overall and helped the Idaho Vandals place fifth in the eight-team event.

Washington (27) easily outdistanced runner-up Western Washington (84). Eastern finished with 95 points, followed by Alaska Anchorage (98) and Idaho (135).

In the open portion of the meet, Whitworth’s men finished fifth out of 20 teams. Aaron Jenkins (25:49.81) placed 28th to pace the Pirates.

In the women’s 6,000 invitational, Teegan Schoch’s ninth-place effort in 21:16.70 helped the Idaho Vandals place fourth.

Kendra Schaaf (19:49.12) and Marie Lawrence (20:06.18) finished 1-2 for first-place Washington.

Ari Rios (56th, 23:47.70) was the top finisher for eighth-place Eastern Washington.

In the open division, the Whitworth women placed fourth out of 18 teams. Dana Misterek led the Pirates with a fourth-place finish in 21:51.48, while Tonya Turner was 21st in 22:38.09.

Alaska Anchorage (22) won the team title. Simon Fraser (60) was second, with Whitworth (127) next.

Junior hockey

Dlyan Tappe’s goal gave the Spokane Braves 3-2 victory over the Fernie Ghostriders in a KIJHL game. Kyle Brown and Bryien Fischer scored for host Spokane while Cash Ulrich stopped 30 shots in goal at Eagles Ice-A-Rena.