Box
Score
FOREST GROVE, Ore.
– Down 3-1 with less than 10 minutes left after a second-half
hat trick by Pacific University's Jenny Novak, the George Fox
University Bruins stormed back to score four goals, the final three
on a hat trick of their own by Jenny McKinsey, for a stunning 5-3
win over the Boxers in Northwest Conference women's soccer
action Wednesday afternoon here at Lincoln Park Stadium.
George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the first half when Sophia De Graff
scored her second goal of the season 26 minutes in, putting back a
ball that had rebounded off a Boxer defender.
The visitors made that stand up through the first period, escaping
two potential Novak goals, the first one hitting the near post and
deflecting out of bounds and the second, which went in, being
canceled by an offsides whistle.
Novak went wild in the second half, netting goals in the 50th,
54th and 74th minutes to become the 10th player in Pacific history
to score a team record-tying three goals in a match.
Her first score came from five yards out on a
long cross lofted in by Kelli Ganiko from the near sideline, ending
a seven-match scoreless streak for the Boxers that had lasted a
total of 680 minutes. Her second was off a
corner kick from Becca Roth that bounced around in front of the
goal before being punched in. Her third goal
came after a long cross from Roth to Ashley Kanda, who headed it
straight up into the air, and Novak then hit a header of her own to
give the Boxers what seemed to be a commanding 3-1 lead.
The Bruins began their spectacular comeback when Kirsten Cardwell
hit a hard live drive from 15 yards out into the left corner off a
throw-in by McKinsey in the 82nd minute for her fifth goal of the
season. McKinsey tied it herself in the 83rd
minute as she hit a high lofting shot from 20 yards out that was
almost identical to the one scored by Cardwell.
Five minutes later, she hit the game-winner, punching one into the
far lower corner off a pass from Cardwell from eight yards out.
George Fox continued pressing and McKinsey found herself the
beneficiary of a breakaway from midfield in the final minute,
dribbling through the last two Pacific defenders to net her hat
trick, the second of her Bruin career, with 21 seconds
remaining. It took her only six minutes and 30
seconds to net all three goals, giving her 10 for the season.
The Bruins out-shot the Boxers 18-15 in the offensive show, with a
14-7 advantage in shots on goal. Pacific
goalkeeper Erin Ichimura made nine saves in the loss, while George
Fox goalkeeper Sally Page made four stops.
George Fox (10-5, NWC 6-5) hits the road again Saturday, visiting
Willamette University for a 12:00 noon game.
Pacific (4-10-1, NWC 3-6-1) returns to action Sunday with a trip to
Linfield College, also at 12:00 noon.
