NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's lacrosse team crushed the Whitman Blues in an epic game today—an outstanding 14-8 win.

How It Happened
The Blues took the first couple of points at the beginning of the first quarter, but not for long as Claire Abraham scored the first goal for the Bruins. Fox managed to tie the score now that their heads were locked into the game when Merrick Gibson scored a goal in the first two minutes of the second quarter. Whitman used their offense well though as they scored two more goals. Luckily, Ava Bluhm scored a clean goal in the last two minutes of the quarter, still behind, but advancing the score 3-4.

Fox tied the score right off the bat in the third quarter with another goal by Abraham, sending the Blues into a panic. From there, Fox picked up goals one-by-one with two more goals by Cipriana Flores and Gibson. Whitman tried to keep their leading placement with another goal, but Bluhm tied the score with a shot on draw control—the score was 6-6. About a minute later, Abraham scored another strong goal from a free-position shot. A few fouls were tossed around until Abraham snuck in another goal with just 16 seconds remaining—the score sitting at 8-6.

In the final quarter, the Bruins went to town as Morgan Maxfield scored a goal within the first 30 seconds, and then Gibson scored a goal 30 seconds later. Junior Sasha Thayer scored as well, advancing the score 11-6. For about six minutes, both offenses were stagnant, until Abraham closed in on Whitman's defense and went for the kill with another goal, 12-7. In the last twenty seconds of the game, Bluhm and Gibson both scored a goal each, putting the Blues in their place—the final score of the game was 14-8.

The second-half scoring frenzy was also impressive because the Bruins played the second half down two athletes. Lana Davis exited the game in the first half due to yellow-card accumulation, and Stela Flores joined her after picking up two yellow cards of her own. Playing with limited depth on the bench, the Bruins put the Blues away and secured the 14-8 victory. 

Top Performers
Sophomore Claire Abraham had an amazing five goals overall and won three draw controls, while Merrick Gibson scored four goals. Ava Bluhm scored twice, while Morgan Maxfield, Sasha Thayer, and Cipriana Flores scored one goal each. Goalkeeper Myah Pack ended the day with nine saves.

Coach's Thoughts
"The resilience and determination this team showed today was incredible," said Bruins head coach Jordyn Merkel. "After a tough loss, they came back with heart, grit, and a refusal to back down. Proud of the fight and the way they responded."

What It Means
The Bruins have a 3-1 overall record, while Whitman has a record of 1-2 overall.

What Comes Next
The George Fox lacrosse team will play against Saint Mary's on Thursday, March 13th. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm.