SPOKANE, Wash. — In pursuit of the exceedingly rare sweep of the "Whit Trip", the George Fox men's soccer team fell 4-1 at Whitworth Sunday, finishing the Eastern Washington road swing 1-1.

How it Happened 
The Bruins nearly matched Whitworth in shots and on-target shots, but the efficient Pirates cashed in early behind the Northwest Conference's two top scorers.

Freshman Beckett Arthur, Montana's all-time leading goal-scorer and a Gatorade Player Of the Year at Hellgate High School, continued a torrid start to his college career with a pair of first-half goals, giving the Buc midfielder ten on the season. A Dominic Gusman cross in the 10th minute set up Arthur's first goal, before before the sophomore forward scored one of his own five minutes later. Arthur and Gusman are first and second in the NWC in scoring with 20 and 18 points respectively. 

The Bruins answered in the 31st minute when Joshua Chang found the back of the net for his third goal of the season, matching Alan Rincon for team lead. But Arthur was summoned to the "X" in the 41st minute, converting a penalty kick to give Whitworth a 3-1 lead at the half. The Pirates added another score just two-and-a-half minutes into the second period and kept George Fox off the board for the final 45. 

The match statistics belied the final score, as Whitworth held only slight edges in shots (14-10) and shots on goal (10-8). The Pirates three scoring players combined to put all eight of their shot attempts on target. 

Top Performers
Chang, Jackson Keller and Jeff Friendman each found the frame on their two shot attempts. Alex Muir recorded seven saves for the Bruins. . 

Coach's Thoughts
"Today was difficult," said Bruins interim head coach Paul Karver. "We had a number of good opportunities, but didn't finish them and they finished theirs. In the end, that's that game."

What it Means
George Fox falls to 4-6 on the season and 2-4 in NWC play. It has been more than a dozen years since the Bruins have won at Whitworth.

What's Next
The Bruins get an extra day off this week as they return home to face the Pacific Boxers on Sunday, Oct. 10.