NEWBERG, Ore - The George Fox women's lacrosse team secured their second straight spot in the Northwest Conference Tournament Championship game with a clinical performance against the #4 seed Whitman Blues, 17-5.

How It Happened
George Fox started the game hot, putting all eight of their shots on goal during the opening period and converting every single one. Ava Bluhm was explosive, scoring three times to help Fox put together two different four-goal runs. Whitman managed to find the net twice, but the Bruins jumped out to an 8-2 lead by the end of the quarter. 

Fox picked up right where they left off in the second period, outshooting the Blues 14-1 for the quarter. The Bruins dominated field position and shared the ball well — tacking on five straight goals using four different players. Heading into halftime, George Fox had widened the gap while allowing just one more goal, 13-3.

The Bruins kept their foot on the gas coming out of the half, holding the Blues to no shots for the entire third period. Fox did not convert as many of their opportunities, but still scored three unanswered goals — coming from Marina Tharpe, Olivia Geyling and Lana Davis. 

Whitman put up a fight in the final quarter, matching the Bruins in shots while holding them to just three shots on goal, their lowest of the game. It was not enough, though, as Carleigh DeLapp notched one final goal for Fox to secure both the victory, 17-5, and earn the Bruins their spot in the NWC Championship game. 

Top Performers
In an impressive team performance that saw seven different Bruins find the net it was Ava Bluhm who led the way, finishing with five goals and an assist. Olivia Geyling ended with three goals on the day, while Marena Tharpe, Claire Abraham, Carleigh DeLapp and Lana Davis all scored twice.

Defensively, Payton Bergren and Ana Flores collected five and four ground balls respectively.

What This Means
Fox improves to 14-1 on the year, maintaining a perfect 13-0 record against conference opponents. Whitman ends the season with a 10-8 record (6-7 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Bruins earned a spot in the NWC championship game with the win and will play against the winner of the semifinal two game — which sees the #2 seed Willamette Bearcats take on the #3 seed Whitworth Pirates. The championship matchup will start at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at Austin Sports Complex.