NEWBERG, Ore. – A first-half rebound goal and a second-half score off a corner kick were enough to lift the visiting Pacific University Boxers to a 2-0 win over the George Fox University Bruins in a Northwest Conference men's soccer game Saturday afternoon here at the Austin Sports Complex, spoiling the host team's Homecoming Day.

Patrick Murray initiated the Boxers' scoring play in the first half when he sent a corner kick into the middle of the box in the 35th minute.  Grady Bryson settled the ball and took a shot from about 12 yards out that was blocked by a Bruin defender, and in the ensuing confusion, the ball rolled free and Devin Shull found himself wide open for an easy putback from 10 yards away, his third goal of the season.

The Bruins had a great chance to tie the game two minutes into the second half when Brandon Zebarth took a cross into the box and rifled a bullet toward the goal from about eight yards out.  Pacific keeper Michael Summers barely had time to react, but got his hands up just in time to protect his face and make an outstanding catch on the potential tying shot.

Following that escape, the Boxers added an insurance goal in the 62nd minute, again following a corner kick.  This time, Garrick Knowles lofted a cross from the right corner that George Fox keeper Elliott Davis leaped to deflect, but the ball was too high and skipped off his hands to Grady Bryson, who headed it just enough to send it into the net.  It was Bryson's first score of the season.

Summers earned the shutout for Pacific with three saves out of the Bruins' eight shots overall.  The Boxers took 21 shots, eight on goal, with Davis making five personal saves while one save was credited to the team.  Each team took seven corner kicks as well.

NEXT: George Fox (2-8-1, NWC 0-6-1) returns to action next Saturday, hosting Willamette University at 12:00 noon.  The game was moved up because the George Fox women have no game that day and the Bruin volleyball team has an early 5:00 p.m. start against Whitman College … Pacific (3-8, NWC 3-4), the defending NWC champion which lost half of its letter winners and almost half of its starters from the 2010 title team, has won three of its last four.  The Boxers are back in action Friday, hosting Linfield College at 7:30 p.m.