SALEM, Ore. – Playing on the road for the first time all fall after opening the season with seven straight home matches, the George Fox University Bruins surrendered a pair of first-half goals and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Willamette University Bearcats in Northwest Conference women's soccer action Sunday afternoon here at Sparks Field.

Stephanie Skelly put the Bearcats on the board 14 minutes into the game when she collected a rebound and stuck it into the net from five yards out for her fourth goal of the season.  Andrea Rowan and Ariel Wilson had assists on the score.

Rowan made it 2-0 five minutes later with a goal of her own, her first of the season.  Maddy Grainger assisted on the goal, which was sent to the bottom right corner on a rebound.

The Bruins cut the margin in half with a goal by Melanie Gaither, her first of the season, with 21 minutes left in the second half.  It was unassisted and went to the bottom right corner.  The Bruins had two more shots to tie before the end of the match, but both were wide and the Bearcats hung on.

Defense was at a premium as the Bearcats managed 11 shots in the game, four on goal, while the Bruins were limited to four shots total, two on goal, and all in the second half.  Montero had two saves in the net for the Bruins, while Kelli Gano went the first half for the Bearcats and got the win while facing no shots, and Nicole Price worked the second half, making one save.  Willamette held a 5-3 edge in corner kicks, and committed 14 fouls to only six for George Fox.

NEXT: George Fox (2-4-2, NWC 1-3), which has now dropped three in a row after a conference-opening 1-0 win over Pacific, visits Lewis & Clark College in Portland Saturday at 10:00 a.m.  The game is two hours earlier than NWC games are normally played because the Pioneers' football team has a game later that afternoon at Griswold Stadium ... Willamette (3-5, NWC 2-2) hosts Whitman College Saturday at 12:00 noon.