WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Goalkeeper Alyssa Montero made a career-high 12 saves and Esther Harder and Nicole Akiu scored second-half goals as the George Fox University Bruins sank the Whitman College Missionaries 2-0 in Northwest Conference women's soccer action Sunday afternoon here at the rain-drenched Whitman Athletic Fields.

After a scoreless first half in which George Fox got only two shots, neither on goal, the game changed ninety seconds into the second period.  Harder took a pass from Melanie Gaither and drilled a 30-yarder just under the crossbar and over Whitman keeper Lauren Brougham for her first goal of the season, giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Four minutes later, the Whitman defense was slow to clear a ball in front of its goal and Akiu punched it home for a 2-0 George Fox lead, with an assist from Gaither.   It was also her first goal of the season.

The weather turned nasty at that point, with gusting winds and heavy rains that forced the teams to play through a mini-monsoon the rest of the way.  Facing a 2-0 deficit, Whitman outshot George Fox 11-4 the remainder of the half, but Montero made eight of her saves during that time to secure her first career shutout.

Whitman finished with an 18-12 advantage in shots, which included a 12-6 edge in shots on goal.  The Missionaries also had a 4-2 edge in corner kicks. 

Marissa Poorboy led the Missionaries offensively with six shots, five on goal.  For the Bruins, Akiu and Gaither had three shots each, with all of Gaither's on goal. 

NEXT:  George Fox (4-9-3, MWC 3-8-1) plays at the league-leading and 20th-ranked University of Puget Sound next Saturday at 12:00 noon ... Whitman (5-10-1, NWC 3-9-1) stays home next weekend to host Linfield College on Saturday at 12:00 noon.