NEWBERG, Ore. – Keeping alive their hopes for an 11th straight Northwest Conference women's soccer title, the University of Puget Sound Loggers broke open a scoreless duel with three second-half goals and went on to a 3-1 win over the George Fox University Bruins in a critical match Sunday afternoon here at the rain-soaked Austin Sports Complex.

Although the Loggers out-shot the Bruins 8-0 in the first half, the visitors were unable to break through in the opening 45 minutes.  Twelve minutes into the second half, the Loggers finally dented the scoreboard when Theresa Henle picked off a Bruin pass in the backfield, raced around a last defender, and scored with a line drive from the upper left corner of the keeper's box inside the far post.  It was her fifth score of the season.

Henle assisted on the next UPS goal, which turned out to be the game-winner.  Her cross from the right side went into the middle for Haley Rosenberg, who sent the ball back into the right corner of the net for her fifth goal of the season at the 74:38 mark.

Rosenberg got the assist on the Loggers' final goal at 84:42 that made it an insurmountable 3-0 game.  Driving the left baseline, she sent a ball across the mouth of the goal that was touched by George Fox keeper Ally Swanson, but the deflection did not roll far and Sierra Grunwald was in perfect position in the middle for an easy tap into the net.  It was the first score of the season for Grunwald.

Esther Harder prevented the Loggers from logging a shutout when she notched her first goal of the season only 63 seconds from the end.  Molly Norton crossed from the left side of the box to Harder coming in from the right, and she knocked it home from 12 yards out past UPS keeper Kara Merfeld.  It was only the Bruins' third shot of the game, and the only one that was on goal.

Puget Sound finished with 16 total shots, nine on goal, with Swanson making six saves for the Bruins.  UPS held a 6-0 advantage in corner kick tries as well.

Puget Sound improved to 11-4-1 overall and 10-2-1 in the conference, climbing within one point of NWC co-leaders Linfield College and Whitworth University when both lost on Sunday.  George Fox slipped to 2-14-2 overall and 1-13 in the NWC.

NEXT: George Fox completes its season next weekend with home games Friday against Lewis & Clark College and Saturday against Pacific Lutheran University, both starting at 12:00 noon ... Puget Sound and Whitworth will play Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. in a neutral-site game at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash.  The game is the make-up of one scheduled earlier in the season that was postponed after officials failed to show up for the game.