NEWBERG, Ore. -- Despite a strong offensive effort in the first half, the George Fox women's soccer team fell in their home conference opener against Pacific as the Boxers pulled away to defeat the Bruins, 2-0. 

How it Happened
The game opened with strong defensive plays from both sides, the teams trading both field position and ball possession. However, it was the Bruins who settled into an offensive rhythm first, firing off three early shots on goal, all of which were saved by Boxer goalie Isabella De La Cruz. 

Fox's persistent attack had several promising looks, with the best chance coming in the 21st minute, when Alexis Breer, Isabella Hector, and Becca Kozak all took shots on goal, though none were able to break past De La Cruz.

Despite not putting a shot on goal until the 26th minute, it was Pacific who finally scored first, when a low cross from Katelyn Volchok found the net in the final seconds of the half. The Bruins outshot the Boxers 9-4 in the frame, but went into the break behind, 0-1. 

Halftime did nothing to stop Pacific's newfound attacking momentum, and they quickly extended their lead to 2-0 with another goal from Volchok in the first three minutes. The Boxers maintained control of the game from there, as the Bruin attack managed just three shots against Pacific's impenetrable backline in the second half. 

Top Performers
Becca Kozak led the Bruins with two shots on goal, while Taylor Ho, Madison Fuller, and Lucy Brandt each recorded one. Defensively, both Bella Salazar and Emily Robey finished with two saves on the day.

Coach's Thoughts
"Pacific played well today," Bruin head coach Laura Schott said, "We've had close games with them in the past and today they finished much better than we did. The upside of today is that everyone played and some people made a great case for more time because of how well they played."

What It Means
The Bruins dropped their opening conference game and now sit at 2-2-1 (0-1 NWC), while Pacific improves to 2-2 (1-0 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Bruins will look to regain momentum tomorrow with a game against Linfield at Austin Sports Complex. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.