NEWBERG, Ore. --  Eugene Peltier made sure that the George Fox men's soccer team started their Northwest Conference season unbeaten on Sunday, scoring his second consecutive last-minute goal to lead the Bruins to a 1-1 tie against Linfield. 

How It Happened
Both teams started slow, with the first shot of the day recorded seven minutes into the game. Fox struggled to break through the Wildcat back line early, only recording one shot on goal in the first half on a ball from Michael De Coito III.

Keoni Gavino provided the Bruins with their biggest highlight in the first half. After a foul on Shane Fuse gave the Wildcats a penalty kick in the 18th minute, the sophomore skied through the air to save Sid Kosaris' attempt. Gavino's heroics ensured that both teams entered halftime deadlocked in the scoreless tie.

After seven minutes of action in the second half, Linfield was the team to finally break through; Kosaris avenged his missed penalty, catching Gavino off guard with a point-blank goal off of a corner kick rebound in the 53rd minute. Following the goal, the Bruins quickly became aggressive — eight of Fox's 15 shots came following Kosaris' goal.

While the Bruins stayed aggressive, many Fox shots were fired harmlessly off-target. Chase Kaetsu gave Linfield goalie Colby Reese a run in the 79th minute, but only one other Bruin shot was on frame in that time period.

That one shot, though, proved to be the difference. Fresh off of his game-winning goal against Pacific the day prior, Eugene Peltier pulled off another incredible shot in the 80th minute. Peltier received the ball from Kaetsu, then fired off a shot from beyond the 18-yard line. The deep ball bolted straight through Reese's outstretched hands, finding the back of the net and sending the Bruin bench into a frenzy. The goal proved to be the last shot on target for either team, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Top Performers
Eugene Peltier ended the day with three shots and one goal, while Chase Kaetsu finished with one shot on goal and one assist. Defenders Elijah Soon and Laakeaikamalu Salvani were the lone Bruins to play all 90 minutes outside of goalie Keoni Gavino. Gavino ended his day with one save.

Coach's Thoughts
"Today was a proper rivalry game," Bruin head coach Paul Karver said, "The teams fought hard with both sides asking difficult questions of one another. In the end, a draw seems fair but certainly leaves us wanting more."

What It Means
The Bruins move to 2-3-1 (1-0-1 NWC) on the season, finishing their opening weekend unbeaten for the second consecutive season. Linfield currently sits at 0-4-2 (0-1-1 NWC).

What Happens Next
The Bruins square off against Pacific Lutheran in Newberg on Saturday, Sept. 23rd at 2:30 p.m.