NEWBERG, Ore. -- After picking up a win the day before over Whitworth, the George Fox men's soccer team fell to the Whitman Blues, 2-0, at Austin Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon. 

How It Happened
The Bruins' defense was excellent in the first half, allowing only four shots. However, the Blues' Noa Taylor scored in the 26th minute off of a pass from Edwin Romero, giving them a 1-0 edge going into halftime. George Fox had a scoring opportunity at the end of the half when Matthew Woodard got a clean look in the 43rd minute, but the Whitman keeper saved it.

The Blues scored seconds into the half on a breakaway from Romero, putting the game to its final score at 2-0. The Bruins struggled to get the ball into the attacking third, getting only one shot in the second half. The game was a defensive battle and was played much closer than the score describes, as Fox held an explosive Whitman team to just eight shots total. Even with the loss, the Bruins showed improvement from the year prior; in 2021, Fox only picked up three points against the Whits. This year, the Bruins picked up five.

Top Performers
Along with Woodard's shot on goal, Eugene Peltier added a shot on goal in the 59th minute. Goalkeeper Cade Matsumoto had four saves, including a diving save that barely pushed the ball over the net in the second half.

Coach's Thoughts
"Sunday games in conference are always difficult," Bruin head coach Paul Karver said, "The boys showed a great deal of grit today and pushed to score until the end. With three games left we are excited to finish strong."

What It Means
The Bruins are now 4-10-3 (2-7-3 NWC), while the Blues are 12-7-1 (9-4-1 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins play on Tuesday in a non-conference game against Lewis & Clark in Portland, at 7 pm. Then again on Friday against Pacific University at home at 7:30 pm for Senior Day festivities.