NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox men's soccer team fought hard against Willamette in their Northwest Conference home starter, but the Bruins fell short in a 2-1 loss.

How It Happened

In a game that was aggressive almost immediately after the opening whistle, the Bearcats found an opportunity to score first with an empty-netter in the 12th minute. Cole Benton challenged the play and punched the ball to the Bruins' 18, but the Bearcats beat the clearance attempt and slotted one top shelf for the 1-0 lead.

With time winding down in the opening half, the Bruins' scoring leader Luke Hamocon swiped the ball from the Bearcats' backline as they tried to reverse field and then beat the keeper with a rocket to the far post from the top right of the 18 to tie it 1-1.

After the halftime intermission, cooler heads did not prevail. In all, five cards were issued by the center referee, including a red shown to the Bearcats' midfield. Willamette was able to play through the disadvantage, however, and caught the Bruins flat-footed with a header in the 64th minute for the 2-1 final. The Bruins tried their best to press in the last 20 minutes, but their tries were all turned away or went wide.

Top Performers

Hamocon found the net - again - in what is rapidly becoming a season trend for the Bruins. Benton made a save and was aggressive all day in the goal, unafraid to come off his line to break anything up in front of the net.

Their Thoughts

"I'm proud of our boys' ability to compete against a very good Willamette team," said head coach Biniam Afenegus after the match. "I thought we played well and pressed throughout the match. We knew they were very good on set pieces and [Willamette] capitalized on two set pieces today."

What It Means

The Bruins drop to 1-1 on the year and in NWC action while the Bearcats improve to 2-0 in both categories.

What Happens Next

The Bruins will host Linfield on Sunday, Mar. 14 to continue the spring 2021 season series.