NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox women's soccer team played to a gritty, scoreless tie against the Whitworth Pirates on Sunday at Austin Sports Complex in an intense game that used all 110 minutes allotted.

How It Happened 

The match was a tale of two halves for the Bruins: the first was controlled by the offense, the second commanded by the defense. George Fox outshot Whitman 8-1 in the first half and started shooting quickly. Junior midfielder Maggie Choate would launch a free kick 45 seconds into the game that would be saved by Pirate goalie Kate Nelson.

Although the Bruins were not able to score in the first half, they did have two chances. In the 30th minute, junior Maggie Phillips' shot drifted just wide of the goal. Senior Madi Burch had the best opportunity of the day for the Bruins in the 40th minute. Burch controlled the ball amongst defenders, masterfully chipped it to herself, and volleyed a shot that Nelson grazed over the crossbar. 

The second half marked a tonal shift for George Fox, as they played most of the half defending their goal. Whitworth's attack dominated the final minutes of the game, as the Bruins would only record one shot over the last 20 minutes. Senior defender Daria Brandt halted any Pirate run, and goalie Sara Thudium recorded a diving save in the 52nd minute to keep the game scoreless. After 90 minutes of blistering close play, the game remained tied.

The first overtime period quickly saw Burch pelt a ball two minutes in that was barely saved by Nelson. The shot would end up being the best opportunity for the Bruins. Whitworth's Macey Morales launched a ball in the 99th that veered left and ended the first overtime. The second overtime featured a frantic pace that ultimately yielded no shots for either squad in the final nine minutes, resulting in a hotly contested tie.

Top Performers

While Burch was unable to score a goal, her three shots on goal provided the best scoring chances of the game for either team. Freshman midfielder Taylor Ho, who has recorded either a goal or an assist in the last five games, recorded two shots on goal. Sixteen of the Bruins' 10 shots in the game were on target.

Defensively, the Bruins picked up their third consecutive shutout. Freshman goalie Sara Thudium had four saves and has yet to concede a goal in her short Fox career. Daria Brandt and Willa Evans controlled the defensive side for the Bruins all game, with Brandt deflecting two consecutive Pirate corners in the 75th minute.

Coach's Thoughts

"Everybody in our group wanted three points out of today," said head coach Laura Schott, "but, Whitworth is a good team historically. They fought really hard, we fought really hard. Given the run of play and how it went...the result doesn't always show how the game went, but today I think it does."

What It Means

The Bruins' first tie of the year puts their record at 6-3-1, with a Northwest Conference record of 4-1-1. Sunday's tie was the first tie for the Bruins since a 0-0 contest against Linfield in 2019.

Up Next

The Bruin women will travel to Tacoma Sat., Oct. 9 to take on Pacific Lutheran, the 20th ranked team in the nation. Kick-off is set for noon.