NEWBERG, Ore. -- After their first tie of the season the day prior against Whitworth, the George Fox women's soccer team returned to Austin Complex with a deafening response — a 6-1 win over the Whitman Blues, their largest margin of victory in a conference game in the last decade.

How It Happened
It didn't take long for the Fox offense to strike — a goal from Maggie Choate just three and a half minutes into the game set the tone. Just four minutes later, Maggie Phillips did it herself, maneuvering around the Blues defense and putting a ball into the back left corner of the net.

Next up was Courtney Jones, scoring her first career goal amidst a mess of players. After a Choate free kick, several players bunched around the ball in a melee until the junior punched it into the net. Madison Fuller rounded out the high-octane first half with a goal that gave the Bruins a commanding 4-0 lead. The freshman took a ball down the center and weaved through defenders, finishing off the play with her first career goal.

Perhaps the goal of the day for the Bruins was the first goal of the second half, a beautiful ball from Becca Kozak. Kozak backed down a Whitman defender before turning and chipping a ball over the arms of Whitman's Hannah Hagler to give Fox the 5-0 advantage.

While the Bruins would not get their fifth shutout of the season thanks to a late Blues goal, many Bruins earned their first sustained minutes of conference play. Olivia Borman, playing in the second game of her career, capped off the 6-1 Bruin victory with a goal in the final minutes that sent the Bruin bench into a frenzy.

Top Performances
Sunday afternoon's game was the third time this season the Bruins have scored six or more goals; this time, though, all goals were scored by different players. Choate and Kozak both totaled an assist on the day, while three Bruin goalies saw action — Madeline Bailey, Zirce Valeriano, and Bella Salazar. 

Coach's Thoughts
"It was a great performance and team win today," head coach Laura Schott said, "It was especially encouraging to see our response to yesterday in the first 15 minutes today. I'm very proud of our team."

What It Means
The Bruins have shot out to a 5-0-1 unbeaten start on the season, with a 3-0-1 Northwest Conference mark. The loss drops the Blues to a 4-3 record with a 1-3 NWC record.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will return to Austin for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 1, to take on the Linfield Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.