Box Score Photo Taken By: Jake Ryan
By: Ryan Lackey
NEWBERG, Ore. --- Certain draws feel much more like victories, and such was the case Sunday afternoon. The Bruins faced a visit from Whitworth, who before Sunday were a perfect 9-0 and cruising atop the Northwest Conference standings. The Pirates' record, though, is unblemished no more, after a double-overtime, 1-1 draw that saw Bruins' keeper Murray Noble perform wonders in net, especially after the Bruins went down a man.
Recap:
When the full-time horn blew, Whitworth had fired 16 shots on goal – Murray saved fifteen. Though sometimes an underappreciated position, a top-class goalkeeper wins points, and Murray on Sunday was the apotheosis of such a keeper.
Credit also, though, to the Bruins collectively. Coming up against Whitworth, the top team in the conference, and their star forward Karl Muelheims, who already boasts eight goals, the Bruins could be forgiven for a case of nerves or suspect confidence. No such issues for George Fox on Sunday: the Bruins came out swinging (or, rather, kicking).
Whitworth keeper Timmy Costa was tested early; Trevor Martin and Luis Rangel both came close for the Bruins in the first ten minutes, and Joel Schierman flashed a good look just wide. Too good to be totally dominated, Whitworth carved out chances, too, and good Bruins defense blocked two shots in succession in the 22nd minute, which led to a decisive counterattack.
Running with the ball at his feet, Miguel Lopez spotted Rangel making a good run into the box and picked him out with a precise ball. Rangel converted, and the Bruins found themselves 1-0 up in the 24th minute.
Invigorated by the sudden deficit to overcome, the Pirates poured forward, and the Bruins edged into halftime having weathered a sustained period of the Pirates' possession – Noble made several key saves.
The second half saw Whitworth control most of the ball, and the Bruins, penned in, were forced to defend and look for the counter: Schierman rocketed a ball over the crossbar on one attack against the run of play. Largely, though, the second half saw the Bruins defend, working to make Whitworth earn each shot, all of which found their way into Noble's seemingly omnipresent grasp.
Finally, Whitworth broke through in the 78th minute. Bruin defender Evan Cooney tripped a Pirate in the box on a good scoring opportunity, summarily earned his second yellow card, and was sent off. Noble, despite his heroics, couldn't keep out Sam Engle's penalty, and the match was tied, 1-1.
The Bruins saw out the ninety minutes of regulation, and the twenty minutes of extra time were entirely Noble's. Regardless of how much space Pirates' forwards found or how many shots they drove towards goal, Noble was staunch. In the 110th and final minute, the Bruins' Schierman had a curled effort saved by Costa, and the score line held, 1-1.
Top Performer:
Schierman and Rangel stood out for the Bruins offensively – Rangel bagged his fourth goal, and Miguel Lopez tallied another assist. But the man of the day was undoubtedly Noble: Whitworth attempted 29 shots and took 14 corners, but Noble was up to the task.
What It Means:
Certainly the best result of the season for the Bruins, the draw puts their record at 5-6-1 overall and 2-3-1 in conference: they sit at fourth with seven points. Prior to Sunday, Whitworth had not dropped a single point all year.
What Comes Next:
The Bruins will look to build on their momentum next Saturday, when they travel to Pacific.
