WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Weekend sweep of the Whits is complete! The Bruins stay perfect after a 11-9 victory over the Whitman Blues.
How It Happened
Whitman jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Sarah Hawkins scored just 40 seconds into the game. The rest of the quarter was all Bruins, though, as they scored four straight to finish out the quarter.
Naomi Rauch got things going with a goal in transition after
Gabriella Muzquiz snagged a ground ball and stormed up the field. Muzquiz passed it over to
Merrick Gibson, who immediately found Rauch wide open in front of the net.
Claire Abraham got in on the action next, making a great cut and receiving the ball from
Lana Davis as she sliced through the Blues' defense for the goal.
Both teams had stellar defense until the last couple of minutes of the quarter. Abraham earned a free position shot after a shooting space foul on Whitman, converting the opportunity into a goal with under a minute and a half left to play in the quarter. Following the goal,
Ava Bluhm secured the draw control and set up the Bruins offense in their final possession before half. In the possession, Davis switched into a mismatch and took full advantage, firing a shot at the goal and scoring to put the Bruins up three headed into the second quarter.
The second quarter began with a draw control for Whitman and a yellow card on the Bruins. Despite being a man down, the Bruins managed to keep possession and earned a free position shot on the offensive end. Gibson took advantage, scoring and giving the Bruins a 5-1 lead. The Blues battled back, though, scoring the next two goals to make it 5-3 with just under four minutes to go in the half. The Bruins weren't done yet, though, as Rauch found Bluhm in transition to give Fox a 6-3 halftime lead.
Whitman came out swinging in the third quarter, firing off two goals in the first four minutes to come within one of the lead. Several minutes later,
Morgan Maxfield got in on the action after a free-position goal gave the Bruins a two-goal cushion. The Blues struck right back to make it 7-6, but the Bruins got the last laugh after Bluhm netted her second of the game on a free-position shot.
The Bruins extended their lead to three to start the fourth quarter after
Cipriana Flores found the back of the net. The Blues struck back under a minute later, bringing the Bruins' lead back to two. Fox found themselves in trouble shortly after, going down two players after back-to-back yellow cards gave Whitman the advantage. Despite being down two players, Bluhm still found a way to get the ball into the back of the net. She sliced her way through a crowd of defenders in an incredible individual effort, giving the Bruins a 10-7 lead. Whitman didn't back down, scoring another two goals to make it a one-goal game with under five minutes to go.
The Bruins' final goal of the game was scored by Gibson on a pass from Maxfield, making the score 11-9. Fox held on strong, showing an impressive defensive effort in the last four minutes to keep the Blues from scoring. The game ended 11-9, and the Bruins came home with a weekend sweep of the Whits.
Top Performers
Ava Bluhm was the leading scorer for the Bruins, netting three goals and one assist to lead both categories.
Myah Pack also had a fantastic day in goal for the Bruins, recording 10 saves and a 52.6% save percentage.
Coach's Thoughts
"Our team battled hard this weekend as the competition in conference keeps getting stronger," said Bruins head coach
Jordyn Merkel. "The team showed that they aren't going to back down."
What It Means
The Bruins start conference play 2-0 after traveling to the Whits for their hardest conference trip of the season.
What Happens Next
The team stays on the road as they face rival Willamette on Saturday, April 12th, in Salem. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.
