Box
Score
NEWBERG, Ore. - With Garrett Blizzard scoring two goals and
assisting on two others, the George Fox University Bruins raised
their record to 4-0-1, the second-best start in school history,
with a 4-0 win over the California State University-East Bay
Pioneers in a non-conference men's soccer match Monday afternoon
here at Morse Field.
The Bruins set a blistering pace offensively in the opening
minutes, getting four corner kicks in the first four minutes. They
scored their first goal off one of them just 2:17 into the game as
Dan Potter centered the ball from the right corner to Blizzard, who
flicked a quick pass to Jon Maroni coming down the middle for a
shot to center of the net. It was Maroni's first goal of the
season.
The teams battled on virtually even terms from then on until the
Bruins exploded for three scores in the final 16 minutes. Blizzard
made it 2-0 at 74:02 when he looped a shot from 10 yards out over
the head of East Bay keeper Sergio Valle after a pass from his
cousin, Matt Gurlides. Blizzard returned the favor two minutes
later at 76:16 when he fed Gurlides on a fast break for his fifth
goal of the season from the left side of the box. The Bruins' final
score came with only 16 seconds left as Blizzard took a pass from
Dylan Durrell, outraced two defenders, and shot the ball in from
left to right by Valle for his second goal of the game and the
season.
The Bruin defense recorded its fourth shutout of the season
while facing 20 shots, eight on goal. Kyle Putnam had three
first-half saves in goal and picked up his first win of the season,
while Jake Maguire defended the net in the second half and stopped
five shots. Valle had two saves for the Pioneers while facing 15
shots, six on goal.
The Bruins' 4-0-1 start is surpassed only by a 7-0 start by the
1993 team. This is the 27th season of men's soccer at George Fox.
The Pioneers dropped to 1-2.
George Fox begins Northwest Conference play Saturday at 2:30
p.m., visiting defending NWC champion and pre-season league
favorite Whitworth College, ranked 9th nationally. The women's NWC
game precedes the men's game at 12 noon. California State-East Bay
visits Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., Wednesday at 1
p.m.
