NEWBERG, Ore. --- After picking up their first victory of the season over La Verne the day prior, a goal in the 88th minute gave the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs the last-minute victory over the George Fox men's soccer team Sunday night.

How It Happened
Riding high on their momentum from their win the night before over La Verne, the Bruins looked to capitalize by keeping their foot on the gas and taking another game from UC Santa Cruz. However, after the first half passed with little to no action or threat of breaking the 0-0 tie, the energy began to drop as both teams began to realize that this stalemate would not end soon.

As time wound down in the second half, the intensity between the two squads ramped up. Over the last 25 minutes of the game, there were four yellow cards awarded — all to the Banana Slugs. With less than two minutes to go in the second half, the Banana Slugs broke the tie, as a header from Adrian Jacobs found the back of the net. With only one minute remaining, the Bruins were unable to generate an attack, falling 1-0.

Top Performers
Though the offense for Fox struggled to break through the Santa Cruz defense, the Bruins' defensive capabilities once again kept them in the game until the very end. After facing eight shots from the Banana Slugs, the Bruins goalkeeper Cade Matsumoto racked up three saves to keep the Bruin's offense in the game. Kilinahe Waring was the lone Bruin to record a shot in the game.

Coach's Thoughts
"Tonight feels different because the guys were committed to each other in a way that they were not a week ago," head coach Paul Karver said, " No denying that this stings, but couldn't be more proud that we have taken the steps forward that we have taken. The next opportunities will be that much more fun."

What It Means
The Bruins' record drops to 1-3 after their hard-fought loss to the Banana Slugs, and they will have to try and regain some energy heading into their Northwest Conference Schedule. For the Slugs, Sunday marked their first victory as they improved to 1-2-2 on the season.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will travel to Walla Walla on Saturday, September 17 to face the Whitman Blues in their first conference game of the season.