NEWBERG, Ore. --- George Fox had to outlast a furious fourth quarter rally from Occidental on Tuesday, Mar. 8, but the women's lacrosse program was able to come away with a 16-12 win in regulation.

How It Happened

Everything went the Bruins' way early and Fox was able to set the tone against a tough Tigers squad from the first draw. Fox was able to build a 3-1 lead by the end of the first quarter after settling in against the Tigers' aggressive full-field rides and talented midfield.

Ella Rand stood on her head throughout the first two quarters in goal, making stop after stop for the Bruins even as they played a woman down twice due to yellow cards. By the end of the first half, Fox had an 8-3 lead after getting scores from Olivia Geyling, Andrea Garcia-Milla, Kyra Barnes, Lyla Roy, Bailey Faust, and Carleigh DeLapp. With her teammates giving her support on offense, Rand made the Bruins' lives easier by making seven stops against 10 shots on frame in the first half.

Fox's defense was able to keep the Tigers down again in the third, only allowing two goals as Rand saved four of the six shots on-goal during the quarter. DeLapp, Roy, Geyling, and Tharpe all found the back of the net to help the Bruins establish a 14-5 lead after 45 minutes of action, and the running clock kicked in briefly for Fox after Roy netted her fourth goal of the night, but the Tigers' rally started 30 seconds later and carried on throughout the fourth quarter. The Tigers' depth and fresh legs allowed them to score six unanswered goals before Barnes took a ball from Payton Bergren on a clear and did the work herself to stop the bleeding with a beautiful face dodge and top-shelf finish for the Bruins' 16th goal of the night. Oxy scored with one second left on a free position, but it wasn't enough to take away the win in a 16-12 final

Top Performances

With the Tigers keying in on taking away Barnes as an option, Roy had a breakout performance with four goals and DeLapp was able to match her with four for half the Bruins' scoring between the pair.

Rand was a rock for the Bruins in the goal with 13 saves, including multiple highlight-reel snuffs on the doorstep, showcasing her reflexes and instincts throughout the night. The Bruins also got a monster night from Bergren with three forced turnovers and five ground balls as the sophomore defender disrupted the Tigers' rhythm all night.

What It Means

Fox stays perfect with a 4-0 record and a quality win on its resume against a tough SCIAC opponent, while the Tigers are now 1-2 on the year.

Up Next

Fox will welcome Willamette to town on Saturday, Mar. 12, at 1:00 pm before finishing the week at Pacific in Forest Grove on Sunday, Mar. 13.