Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. - Brennan Altringer and Brian Story each scored a goal with an assist from the other, leading the George Fox University Bruins to a 2-1 upset of the Northwest Conference-leading Pacific Lutheran University Lutes and their first league win of the season in men's soccer action Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field.

The Bruins struck quickly two minutes into the game as Story raced down the middle of the field with the ball and passed to Altringer racing in from the right wing.  Altringer fired the ball on the dead run from 15 yards out and sent it past PLU keeper Brian Kostol into the far corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

The Lutes, ranked No. 25 in the latest NSCAA/adidas national poll, responded with the equalizer eight minutes later.  Spencer Augustin received a pass on the right wing and beat the Bruin defense into the penalty box, where George Fox goalie Jake Maguire was forced to come out to defend him.  Augustin then crossed the ball to Chad Kearns racing in from the left, where he had an easy 10-yard chip into an empty net.  It was Kearns' fifth score of the year.

Altringer and Story teamed up again for what proved to be the winning goal at the 23:11 mark.  Altringer drove down the right sideline, turned the corner, and sent the ball into the right section of the penalty box, where Story collected it and sent a shot almost identical to Altringer's goal into the far side of the net for his first score of the season.

From then on, it was simply a matter of defense.  PLU limited George Fox to only eight shots all game, and the home team had only one other shot on goal other than the two scores, which was stopped by Kostol.  The Bruins, meanwhile, were bending but not breaking, allowing the Lutes 19 shots and nine on goal, but Maguire made six saves, and two other PLU shots that got behind the keeper and would have gone in were knocked out of the goal mouth by other Bruin defenders.

"It was just a matter of time before we put it all together to play a complete game, and today we did against a very good PLU team," said Bruin coach Tim Tsohantaridis.  "I thought we were a little too passive offensively in the final 10 minutes, but the defense stepped up and Jake did a terrific job controlling the box.  I think we're capable of being a better team than our record indicates, and we just need to build on this."

George Fox (4-6, NWC 1-4) hosts the University of Puget Sound Sunday at 2:30 p.m.  Pacific Lutheran (7-3, NWC 4-1), which dropped into a tie for first in the conference with Whitworth University, a 3-2 winner over Linfield College Saturday, visits Pacific University Sunday at 1:30 p.m.