NEWBERG, Ore. - Kirsten Cardwell scored the only goal of the game in the first half and Becka Doyle made nine saves in the net, leading the George Fox University Bruins to a 1-0 win over the Pacific University Boxers in the Northwest Conference women's soccer opener for both teams Wednesday night here at the Austin Sports Complex.

Defense was the order of the evening on a rain-soaked pitch.  Pacific held George Fox to only six shots total and three on goal.  The Bruins, meanwhile, bent but never broke, surrendering 23 shots to the Boxers, nine on goal, but Doyle was there to stop each one en route to her fifth career shutout.

The Bruins notched the only score of the game in the 19th minute when Cardwell kicked in her second goal of the season and 24th of her career.  Esther Harder initiated the scoring play with a cross from the right sideline after a Pacific foul to Cori Jo Young just outside the penalty box in the center of the field.  Young snuck the ball inside the box to Kassi Vanderkwaak, who found Cardwell angling in from the right.  Her shot from 10 yards out drilled into the far corner of the net past Pacific keeper Brittany Hartmann, who saved the only other two shots on goal by the Bruins.

In addition to taking almost four times as many shots as the Bruins, the Boxers also took seven corner kicks to none for the home team, but a tightly-packed George Fox line gave up few easy shots to the visitors.  Despite the wet conditions, the game was cleanly played, with seven fouls on the Bruins, four on the Boxers, and no offsides on either team.

For the Bruins, it was only the second time in the last 10 years that they have won their conference opener.  The 2007 team won its first three NWC games and went on to finish third in the league with a 9-5-2 record and a 12-6-2 overall slate, the Bruins' best mark under ninth-year coach Andy Hetherington, who commented post-game, "I'll take getting out-shot 4-1 every time as long as we get the win, which was a nice one tonight."

NEXT: George Fox (2-1-2, NWC 1-0) hosts Whitman College Friday at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Bruin men's game with the Missionaries at 7:30 p.m. ... Pacific (0-4-1, NWC 0-1) entertains Whitworth University Friday at 5:00 p.m.