It was good to be home for the Whitworth Pirates Thursday afternoon after a tough road trip against top-notch opposition to open the season, but there was little to celebrate in their home opener as they faced a resilient Northwest University side from the NAIA's Cascade Collegiate Conference in a 0-0 affair.
The Pirates held the better of possession for much of the contest but the visiting Eagles were extremely tough to break down to create quality scoring opportunities in front of goal, repeatedly getting into the final third only to see chances slip away.
Both teams combined for just a few chances on goal through regulation, but either missed the mark or were denied by the opposition.
Overtime, though, looked like it would perhaps deliver a winner for the hosts as the intensity seemed to pick up and the chances began to appear. The last chance of the game with under 30 seconds on the clock looked like it would finally deliver, but instead the shot caromed off the post.
Jimmy Choi finished with two saves for Whitworth, including a crucial tip over the bar from a long-range Eagles shot for the shutout. Starting keeper Agazi Birkner made one stop for Northwest, but his halftime replacement Brandon Karberg (Columbia Falls, MT) stopped three through the rest of match.
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