McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield seniors Taylor Fisher and Erika Helm-Buckman won’t likely look back and wax poetically about the torrential downpour that swept through their final home match. In spite of the weather, the two Wildcat co-captains led a spirited and improving squad onto the Maxwell Field artificial turf, where it was the Poets who would author the winning verse.

Amiya Moretta scored five goals and Nicole Yorba collected seven saves as Whittier defeated Linfield 19-10. With standing water covering large sections of the Linfield lacrosse field, the match was hastily moved to the football field.

Fisher scored a team-high three goals while adding three assists, and Brittani Drost (Sr., Forest Grove, Ore.) tallied three more scores for the Wildcats. Mariah Jones added a couple of goals Linfield. Helm-Buckman finished with a match-high six ground balls and forced four turnovers. Halee Helgerson (Soph., Milwaukie, Ore) notched a goal and an assist.

Wildcats goalkeeper Tori Kraft was credited with six saves. Whittier outshot Linfield by a 33-20 margin. The ‘Cats showed their hustle and determination, scooping up 22 ground balls to the Poets’ 15.

The Poets scored the first three goals of the match, two on free position shots, to take early command. Whittier led 7-2 after Shaina Denny’s unassisted goal at the 11:13 mark of the period, but Jones netted two goals and Drost potted another to draw Linfield to within four goals, 9-5, at the break.

When play resumed, the Wildcats came out smoking, getting three quick goals, two by Fisher and another from Zooey Spring just 13 seconds in to the period.

That’s when the Poets put their offense in high gear, scoring five unanswered goals, and 10 of the next 11 points, to win going away.

Linfield dropped to 1-5 for the season. Whittier, from southern California, pushed its record to 3-7.

NEXT: The Wildcats play their remaining two contests on the road. Linfield is idle until April 13 when the ‘Cats head to Forest Grove to battle Pacific at 10 a.m. Two days later, the season wraps up with a 1 o’clock contest at Puget Sound.