NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox men's soccer team handled a quick turnaround and faced another physical opponent Sunday, outshooting a strong Puget Sound squad in the second half before falling 1-0 at Austin Sports Complex.

How It Happened

The Loggers were strong and came out very aggressively, playing the majority of the first half in the attacking half. The Bruins, despite giving up size at most positions on the field, tried their best to match UPS's physicality on 50-50 plays and balls in the air. 

Despite keeping the Bruins on the defensive most of the half, the Loggers only managed four shots. However, the only one that found the frame turned out to be the decisive shot. Senior forward Cale Spence was able to maneuver around two George Fox defenders at the edge of the 18-yard box, before sending a strong left-footed strike through traffic and into the back of the net.

After giving up five goals to PLU Saturday, the Bruins played far and away their best half of the weekend in the final 45, controlling the run of play for the most part. The Logger defense still made life difficult, but the Bruins had a handful of decent cracks at leveling the match. After a soft shot early in the period, the Bruins earned a direct free kick just outside the penalty box, but Joshua Chang's attempt went over the bar. Less than five minutes later, Connor Kong got a strong shot off a rebound but is just missed outside the right post.

The final thirty minutes of the match was a constant exchange of fouls and yellow cards, the teams combining for 37 whistles and a half dozen cautions, but the Loggers were able to escape with the win, despite a 6-4 advantage in shots for the Bruins in the final stanza.

Top Performers

Jackson Keller came off the bench to lead the Bruins with six shots. Goalkeeper Alex Muir went the distance and recorded two saves. The entire Bruins backline did an excellent job of limiting quality shots throughout the match.

Coach's Thoughts

"We played three poor halves this weekend and then showed up for the final 45," said head coach Paul Karver. "Plenty to build on and despite the score lines, we are moving in a positive direction."

What It Means

The Bruins fall to 0-2 in conference play and 2-4 overall on the season. 

Up Next

After matches on back-to-back days against bruising, physical teams, the Bruins are off until Saturday when they travel to McMinnville to take on the Linfield Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. George Fox returns home to face Willamette on Sunday, Sep. 26, also at 2:30.