NEWBERG --- The men's soccer team handed Willamette a 1-0 victory with a late own goal on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon at Austin Sports Complex.

Recap

Willamette used crisp passing and speed to dominate the attack all afternoon. The Bearcats held an 18-8 shooting advantage but were only able to place seven shots on goal against the Bruins' four.

After a slew of Bearcat corners that put keeper Cole Benton to work early, the Bruins created their first offensive threat in the 25th minute. Tyson Horn placed a free kick between the posts, but keeper Mason Kelliher was all over it.

The first half drew to a close with the Bearcats firing off multiple attempts, but all fell around the frame.

A balance was reached as the two teams took turns exchanging shots after the break. Jackson Keller's breakaway down the left line rallied the fans, but his shot went wide left. This back-and-forth play continued for 25 minutes before the Bearcats gained momentum once again.

Benton stepped up with two beautiful saves on what may have been the 'Cats best scoring chances of the day, as Yushiro Shiomi and Pierce Galloway placed back-to-back shots on frame.

The decisive goal came when a cluster situation developed in the box, and Diego Gil inadvertently cleared the ball into his own goal. The Bruins were unable to overcome the 1-0 deficit with just eight minutes left in regulation.

Top Performers

Keller took a team-high three shots while Harape added two of his own. Bautista and Horn also placed a shot on goal apiece. Benton came up with six saves in net for the Bruins.

What It Means

The Bruins drop to 4-10-2 on the season and carry a 1-8-1 record in conference play.

What Comes Next

The Bruins take a short trip to face local-rival Linfield tomorrow at noon. Fox then returns to Newberg to close out the 2019 campaign with three-straight home games.