MCMINVILLE, Ore. -- The Bruins locked in another win this weekend against their rivals, the Linfield Wildcats in a 22-7 victory.

How It Happened
Linfield took the first goal of the game, but Fox bounced back strongly with seven goals before they gave the Wildcats another chance to score. In those seven goals, Naomi Rauch made her tenth goal of the season with a ground ball pick-up right after, and a draw control won by Lana Davis. This jump-started the Bruins as Davis won another draw control after Ava Bluhm scored a clean goal. Only three minutes in, Merrick Gibson scored her 32nd goal of the season and then gave the Wildcats' defense some air.

With three and a half minutes remaining in the period, Morgan Maxfield scored two consecutive goals, advancing the score 7-1. Linfield attempted to gain control, but Maxfield wouldn't let them have it when she scored a third goal with 55 seconds left—the score sitting at 8-2.

The second quarter was spread out more evenly—Davis won a quick draw control, Gibson grabbed the ball, passed it back to Davis as she shot it into the net. Fox regrouped with a timeout, keeping their heads in the game. A few quiet minutes went by, then Bluhm scored off of a sneaky assist from Maxfield. Linfield tried to keep up, but Davis kept them in place with a goal at 11-4. In the last two minutes, Davis picked up a ground ball. Then, Jenna Clark got possession, passed it back to Davis, and another goal was made with the score being 12-4.

The third quarter began with multiple free-position attempts, but Fox scored a goal when Davis passed the ball to Bluhm. Later on, Claire Abraham won a draw control and then scored a strong goal—pushing the score 16-4. Finally, within the last two minutes, Sasha Thayer and Gibson scored two goals in a row, giving the Wildcats a run for their money at 19-4.

Fox started to lose their steam in the final quarter, letting the Wildcats score a few more goals. Still, Gibson scored two solid goals—35 of the season, the score being 21-4. Leaving the game on a high note, Bluhm scored the last goal in the closing minute, the final score was a strong 22-7.

Top Performers
Lana Davis finished the game with five goals, two assists, and six draw controls. Ava Bluhm scored five goals, with one assist, Merrick Gibson had four goals and two assists, while Morgan Maxfield had four goals and one assist total.

Coach's Thoughts
"Today's win was earned by all 18 players," said Bruins head coach Jordyn Merkel. "Everyone battled and had major contributions - they never let up and all played for each other."

Why It Matters
The Bruins are now 11-4 (7-0 NWC) for the season, keeping their spot in the Northwest Conference Tournament, while the Wildcats fall to 8-6 (4-3 NWC) overall.

What Happens Next
Fox will travel back to Newberg to play their last game before the Northwest Conference. The game is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Sunday, April 27.