NEWBERG, Ore -- The George Fox women's soccer team continued their strong defensive start to the season, playing to their third tie in four games with a 0-0 effort against Willamette.

How It Happened
The beginning of the first half was a competition of defense between the Bearcats and the Bruins. It wasn't until 30 minutes in that the first shots were taken by Willamette, but none landed thanks to two saves by goalkeeper Marisa Lam. It didn't take long for the Lady Bruins to put pressure on the Bearcats and respond with a shot of their own with a shot, a ball by Liv Haima that unfortunately missed low left. The first half ended how it began: with more strong defense and a score of 0-0. 

The start of the second half was very different from the first, with several shots early one; A shot fired by Willamette was saved by Lam, with GFU retaliating immediately with a ball from Grace Bach that missed high right. Over the next ten minutes, the Bearcats attempted 11 shots, but the Bruins refused to let the Bearcats get on the board, 0-0. George Fox ran the ball down the field for another shot by Haima, but missed high. Marisa Lam had the highlight of the day, with a wild diving save midway through the half keeping the game tied. The game wound down with little serious challenge, ending in Fox's second scoreless tie of the season, 0-0. 

Top Performers
Liv Haima led the team in shots with one shot on goal, and Grace Bach also contributed a shot. Marisa Lam had a day with seven saves and no goals allowed. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Hats off to our freshmen that got their first conference minutes today," Head coach Laura Schott said, "and specifically to Marisa for her first shut out in goal. We had some big performances from some of our youngest players."

What It Means
George Fox is now 0-1-3 (0-0-1 NWC) in the season, and Willamette is 1-1-2 (0-0-1 NWC) overall. 

What Happens Next
George Fox will head to Pacific on Sunday, September 14 for their next match-up against the Boxers. The game is scheduled to start at noon.