NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox men's soccer team opened their 2021 fall campaign with an exciting exhibition match against the Wolves of Walla Walla University on Monday afternoon.

How It Happened
After a scoreless first half, both teams found the back of the net before the match concluded with a 1-1 final after regulation. 
Senior Trevor Putnam put the Bruins up on the board in the 82nd minute, evening out what had already been a well-fought game from both sides. 
Freshman Joshua Chang wrangled a corner from sophomore Alan Rincón right before setting up Putnam for a beautiful header. 

Top Performers
Chang's assist capped a three-shot performance.
Senior transfer Alex Muir made two of GFU's three saves on the day. 
Five different Bruins created scoring opportunities as Rincón, Robert Rodarte, and Solek Ashkinos led the squad with two attempts.

"Going into the game, you could definitely tell there were nerves in the air," Putnam explained after the match. "Though once the whistle blew, everyone showed up and did their job. Being a young team and having only been training for a few days now, I thought everyone did great. It felt great to start our season off with our first goal, and I can't wait to see what this season brings us."

Coach's Thoughts
"The boys showed a great amount of grit today," explained a proud Head Coach Paul Karver. "When we went down 1-0 and struggled in front of goal, they could have stopped, but they didn't. They continued to work, and they were rewarded for it. The movements to create space are improving, and the decision-making from the goal was top class. We have plenty to work on, but we took a positive step today, and tomorrow we get back at it."

Up Next
The Bruins are back at Austin Sports Complex this Friday, Aug. 27, when they host the College of Idaho in the second and final exhibition match of the season. Kick-off is set for 5:00 p.m.