George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Pacific Boxers scored a pair of second-half goals and held off a late attack to defeat George Fox 2-1 Sunday at Austin Sports Complex.

How it Happened 

Limited to a single soft shot from distance in the first half, the visiting Boxers had a breakaway opportunity early in the second stanza. Going one vs. one with Pacific's Noah Edwards, Bruin goalkeeper Alex Muir came firing off his line to smother a shot, preserving the shutout momentarily. 

The Boxers took advantage of a defensive lapse in the 58th minute and had the numbers to capitalize. Jayden Adkisson played a ball from the middle of the 18-yard box to the right wing, where Jericho Lara powered a shot into the left side netting to break the scoreless draw. Minutes later, Muir took a shot to the head while going to the ground to cover a ball near the right post. After a stoppage of play for medical attention, Muir continued on, but barely a minute later, clearly feeling unwell, was assisted to the sideline by training staff.

With Julian Ramirez now in goal, the Bruin backline, which had played so well over the first 45 minutes, suffered another breakdown. Pacific's Alex Pasmann pounced on a turnover and ripped a strong shot into the upper left corner to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

That would be the last of the Boxers' five shots in the match, with all five finding the frame. But George Fox rallied at the finish. Connor Kong had two shots directly in front of the Boxer goal, but was twice turned away by Pacific goalkeeper Zach Aderinto. In the 81st minute, Jackson Keller blasted a high free kick that Aderinto tipped over the bar. Connor Flolo got a head on the resulting corner kick, but Aderinto got in the way of that as well.

Finally, with less than a minute remaining, Kong crossed a ball in from the left side and Sean Beuckens headed it inside the left post to pull the Bruins within one. With one last gasp in the final seconds, the Bruins appeared to have a chance at a close-range free kick when contact occurred just outside the Boxer penalty area, yet the only sound was the final horn and not the referee's whistle. 

Top Performers

Kong put all three of his shots on frame and assisted the only George Fox goal. Beuckens played a strong game in the midfield, putting his only shot attempt into the back of the net. The freshman Aderinto excelled in goal for Pacific, getting a win despite the Boxers being outshot 15-5 in the match. He had eight saves. 

Coach's Thoughts

"The game we love teaches hard lessons sometimes," said head coach Paul Karver. "Like life, it's not about being fair or not being fair, it's about getting back up, allowing the experience to make you stronger than the day before." 

What it Means

George Fox is now 4-7 on the season and 2-5 in NWC play following back-to-back defeats. 

What's Next

The Bruins play host to Whitworth (Saturday) and Whitman (Sunday), both matches kicking off at 2:30 p.m.