Photo Taken By: Jake Ryan 

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Bruins closed out their final home game of their Northwest Conference schedule against the Boxers of Pacific University in a thrilling 15-12 victory.

Recap:
The game opened up quickly, as the Boxers were able to force a fumble on the opening kick-off to take advantage just outside the Bruins red zone. The Bruins' defense was ready, though, as the Bruins held the Boxers to a 24-yard field goal by Alex Beekman.

"That was huge for us to hold them to a field goal," said Charles Riga. "We knew we needed to set the tone early, and to hold them to a field goal there gave us great confidence."

The Bruins were able to stop the Boxers again late in the first quarter, and Beekman was called upon again for a 26-yard field goal.

The Boxers ended the first quarter with a 6-0 lead.

The Bruins found their feet in the second quarter using eight plays to march down the field for 78 yards. The final play of that drive was a 19-yard touchdown by Grant Schroeder, who gave the Bruins their first lead of the game, 7-6.

Both teams battled the rest of the first half, as the score held going into halftime, 7-6.

The third quarter was a heavy weight bout, as neither team wanted to give up an inch on defense. With a scoreless third quarter, the Bruins knew they would have to finish strong. It was an uphill climb, as the Boxers found the end zone right at the start of the fourth. Campbell Summerfield found Kobe Williams for a 73-yard touchdown, and a 12-7 lead after the 2-point conversion failed.

Schroeder answered for the Bruins three minutes later, finding Trevor Daniels down the middle for a 51-yard touchdown. The Bruins went for two after the touchdown and James Nguyen secured the catch for a 15-12 lead.

The game clock showed 10 minutes left on the scoreboard, but the Bruins' defense was up for the challenge.

"We knew what we had to do," said Justin Kruse. "We felt like we had done a great job all game, and it was time to close it out."

The Boxers looked to find the end zone late in the fourth, but Jake Heverly came to the rescue with a huge interception.

The Bruins finished the game running the clock out to secure the three point win.

Top Performers:
Schroeder completed 17-of-30 passes for 295 yards and one touchdown in the air and on the ground. Daniels led the receiver with three catches for 91 yards. Riga led the defensive unit with 10 tackles and two tackles for a loss. Kruse recorded eight tackles and one sack.

What It Means:
With the win, the Bruins improve to 4-4 on the season and 4-2 in the NWC. It marks the first time in school history that the Bruins will have a winning season in the NWC.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins will close out their season against Willamette on Nov. 12 at 4:00p.m.