NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's lacrosse team scored two goals in the final minute to bring the score to within one; however, the University of Wisconsin River-Falls Falcons held on to win, 13-12.
How It Happened
The Bruins wasted no time welcoming the visiting Falcons to the Austin Sports Complex, as
Merrick Gibson scored the first goal of the day 15 seconds into the game. Just 30 seconds later,
Lana Davis tacked on another goal to push the score to 2-0 with 14 minutes remaining in the first quarter. River-Falls responded with a goal at the 11-minute mark, making the score 2-1 after the opening five minutes.
Ava Bluhm put in another goal for the Bruins, scoring after a turnover forced by
Shae Katagi. Bluhm scored again three minutes later, with
Sasha Thayer providing the assist. After a Falcons goal, the Bruins scored two goals in 25 seconds, as
Naomi Rauch scored from an assist from Davis, who scored herself afterward on a free position shot. The Falcons snuck a goal in the final minutes of the quarter as well, and at the end of a high-scoring first quarter, the Bruins were up, 6-3.
The physicality and defense picked up in the second half, and the two teams combined for just four goals total after totaling nine in the first. The Falcons scored the first goal of the quarter at the 11:51 mark, making the score 6-4. The Bruins scored their only goal of the frame with eight minutes left in the second, as senior
Morgan Maxfield scored off an assist by
Ava Bluhm that pushed the lead to 7-4. The Falcons scored another two goals in the next two minutes, a huge momentum swing that made the score going into halftime 7-6, in favor of the Bruins.
The third quarter looked like a flipped script from the first quarter, with the Falcons scoring early and often, eventually outshooting Fox 6-3 in the frame. UWRF picked up two early goals in the first minutes of the quarter, taking an 8-7 lead with 13:57 still left on the clock. GFU responded with a pair of goals just 10 seconds apart, the first from
Naomi Rauch off a Clarie Abraham assist and the second a Thayer goal from a free position try.
With the score 9-8, in favor of Fox, the Falcons scored a pair over the next three minutes to retake the lead. Fox added their final goal of the quarter with seven minutes left in the quarter, tying the game at 10 goals each. Two more goals from UWRF made the score 12-10, with the Falcons in front as the quarter ended.
The fourth quarter featured the Bruins putting five shots on goal, but Falcons goalie Annelise Rommeck picked up three saves and the Falcons defense did just enough to hold off GFU. After an early Falcons' goal, Fox found themselves down 13-10 for the majority of the quarter. The Bruins' defense held tough, keeping the Bruins within striking distance leading up to the final minutes. The Bruins had the ball after a foul on UWRF with 1:34 left in the game, needing three goals to tie the game.
With 58 seconds left, Bluhm scored a free-position goal that gave the Bruins a spark of life in the final seconds. Davis put another one in the back of the net moments later, off an assist from Thayer to make the score 13-12 with 20 seconds left. The Bruins had a chance going into the final draw of the game, however, they couldn't gain control, and the Falcons let the clock tick down, as GFU lost, 13-12.
Top Performances
Ava Bluhm scored a team-high four goals, and
Lana Davis scored three goals and had two assists.
Naomi Rauch and
Sasha Thayer each had multiple points, with Rauch scoring two goals and Thayer notching one goal and two assists. Bluhm led the team in both ground balls (3) and draw controls (7), while
Gabriella Muzquiz led the team in caused turnovers (4).
What It Means
Fox falls to 4-2, and the Falcons improve to the same mark, 4-2.
What Comes Next
The Bruins travel to Los Angeles on March 24th, playing the Occidental Tigers at 7 pm as they begin a California road trip.
