By: Alex Plusquellec

SALEM, Ore. --- On a crisp, sunny October afternoon, the Bruins and the Willamette Bearcats battled to a 3-3 draw in double overtime. 

Recap:
Early in the first half, the Bearcats were on the attack, getting off five shots in the first eight minutes. Willamette was able to find the back of the net in the eighth minute as Christopher Barnes scored on assist from teammate Alan Hernandez. After taking the lead early, the Bearcats kept attacking but the Bruins weathered the storm, tying the match a 1-1 on a Dennis Zapata goal in the 24th minute. 

The two teams continued to exchange fouls and attempts before the Bruins added another goal in the 40th minute as Victor Garcia assisted Sean Owens on a header to the upper left corner to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead that they carried into the half. 

The second half saw a lot of opportunities missed, as the Bearcats were awarded three corner kicks that were unsuccessful. However, in the 65th minute the Bruins were able to add to their lead on a goal from Moises Manon.

The last fifteen minutes was nothing short of exciting as Willamette staged a comeback. The Bearcats cut into the lead with a penalty shot in the 76th minute, and another goal late tied the match 3-3, forcing overtime. 

In the first overtime, neither team was able to gain an advantage. Bruin goalie Andrew Phillis came up with a big save in the 100th minute to force a second overtime. 

The second overtime saw more of the same as each team took their fair share of shots but weren't able to snag a lead. The Bruins were awarded a corner kick in the final minute of the game but the opportunity came up empty. The Bruins and Bearcats finished the match tied at 3-3 after 110 minutes of soccer. 

Top Performers:
Dennis Zapata, Sean Owens and Moises Manon each scored goals for the Bruins. Goalie Andrew Phillis tallied nine saves. 

What Comes Next:
The Bruins will host Linfield on Sunday for senior day at 2:30 p.m.