NEWBERG, Ore. – Hoping for their first win of the season against the team one spot ahead of them in the Northwest Conference men's soccer standings, the George Fox University Bruins had to settle for a tie as they and the Willamette University Bearcats fought to a 0-0 two-overtime deadlock Sunday afternoon here at the Austin Sports Complex.

Both teams were able to generate several scoring opportunities, the Bearcats taking 16 shots and the Bruins 15, but few of them seriously threatened to go in.  Willamette had only four shots on goal, with George Fox keeper Elliott Davis making all four saves, while the Bruins had three shots on frame, each one stopped by Bearcat goalie Eben Helleckson. 

The best chances for each team came in the second half.  The Bruins' Christian Reed, who led all players with five shots in the game, had a shot at a wide-open goal in the 58th minute when Helleckson was caught out of position near the right post, but misfired wide right.  A minute later, he had a short-range shot stopped by Helleckson.  The Bearcats nearly scored in the 69th minute when a shot by Mike McGrew from inside the left line of the penalty box hit the left post and bounced straight back out.

Willamette had two shots in the second overtime, both by Brandon Shiluk, that were saved by Davis.  One of them was deflected by a sliding Davis and rolled across the mouth of the goal, but the Bruins were able to clear it before any other Bearcats could react to punch the ball into the unguarded net.

The Bearcats held a decided advantage in corner kicks, 9-1, but often got ahead of themselves as they were whistled for being offsides 12 times as opposed to only three times for the Bruins.

NEXT: George Fox (0-10-2, NWC 0-8-1) visits Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ... Willamette (3-8-3, NWC 1-6-2) returns home to Salem, Ore., to host the University of Puget Sound Saturday, also at 2:30 p.m.