SPOKANE, Wash. – The George Fox women's soccer team battled hard in a tightly contested match against Whitworth, before an late goal saw them fall to the Pirates, 0-1.

How It Happened
Fox opened the game with two shots in the first ten minutes, but neither found the mark — following that moment, the game quickly transformed into a midfield battle for possession. The Bruins did well to create opportunities against a consistent Pirates defense, outshooting Whitworth 5-2 in the first half. Their best chance came in the 28th minute when Hannah Beardemphl put a shot through to the lower left corner, but a Pirate save kept the game scoreless into halftime.

The second half was another battle for ball control, with both teams trading field position and shots early. Whitworth's offense came alive later in the half, rattling off three unanswered shots in ten minutes, but Fox goalkeeper Emily Robey made one crucial save after another to keep the Bruins in contention.

The decisive moment in the match came during the 79th minute, when a George Fox foul earned the Pirates a free kick in the box. The shot was initially offline, but partially deflected off a Bruin defender and past Robey's dive, giving Whitworth the lead, 1-0. Initially ruled an own goal, the score was later rewarded to Whitworth's Baylee Trejo, the player who attempted the shot.

Fox attempted to bounce back with a late shot from Liv Haima, but ultimately were unable to level the scores.

Top Performers
Goalkeeper Emily Robey saved all three shots on goal in yet another solid defensive performance. Senior Hannah Beardemphl was the only Bruin to put a shot on goal, while Hannah Hernadez finished with two total shots on the day. 

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 4-5-3 (2-4-2 NWC) on the year, while the Pirates improve to 6-3-2 (5-2 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins will look to regain momentum next Saturday when they travel to McMinnville, Ore. to take on the Linfield Wildcats — kickoff is scheduled for noon.