TACOMA, Wash. -- Prior to Saturday afternoon, the George Fox women's soccer team had lost 18 consecutive games to the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, their last tie coming on November 4, 2011. 11 years later, an early Bruin goal made sure that a loss was out of the question, as the two top Northwest Conference teams played to an impressive 1-1 tie.

How It Happened
The Fox women struck first with a goal from Willa Evans just eight minutes into the game. The junior scored her first goal of the year on a header off a corner from Maggie Choate to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Following that goal, though, the Lutes outshot the Bruins 6-0 for the remainder of the half. Despite the shot numbers, a strong Bruins defense ensured that none of Pacific Lutheran's shots were on goal.

The Bruin defense continued to hold off a charging Lute offense in the second half. PLU had entered the game scoring 10 goals over the last three conference games, but struggled to put a shot past goalie Madeline Bailey. The junior recorded three saves in the second half, while the defense blocked five shots. 

With just over three minutes left in the game, the Lutes finally got a shot past the Bruin D. A perfectly placed ball from PLU's Julia Causbie off of a free kick snuck by Bailey and into the bottom right corner of the net. While the goal prevented the Bruins' first win over the Lutes since 2008, the Fox women continued their historic unbeaten start to the season with the 1-1 tie.

Top Performances
Evans' goal was her lone shot of the game and just the sixth shot of the season for the defender. The assist for Choate was her fourth of the season; the senior has two assists off of corner kicks this year. Fox totaled three shots on goal for the day — Taylor Ho and Becca Kozak notched the other two. Defensively, Bailey tallied a career-high six saves.

Coach's Thoughts
"We fought hard and gave, but didn't break on the road against the defending champions," head coach Laura Schott said, "We will take the positives and get ready for a good Willamette team tomorrow."

What It Means
The Bruins remained unbeaten on the season, sitting at a 6-0-3 record, with a 4-0-3 Northwest Conference mark. The Lutes still sit at the top position in the conference, with a 8-1-2 record and a 5-1-1 NWC record.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will return to the state but remain on the road, taking on the Willamette Bearcats on Sunday, October 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.