George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's soccer team went toe-to-toe with Pacific Lutheran on Friday night, tying up the game at the break but ultimately falling to PLU, 2-1 after a late second-half goal.

How it Happened
The first half saw an intense battle for possession until the Bruins broke through the defense first. After a corner kick, Fox defender Luke Lidington took the first shot of the game with a header, which Landon Gordon, the Lute's goalie, saved in the top left. Pacific Lutheran came back swinging with 5 shots before the Bruins recorded another. George Fox's goalkeeper Patrick O'Brien saved two of the 5 and the constant Bruin defensive pressure kept the others from getting close. 

Shortly after, the Lutes found their opening when Connor O'Brien shot low between three Bruin defenders, scoring the first goal of the game. George Fox charged down the field urgently. Battles for possession became even more fierce. The Lutes continued shooting, but Fox defenders were able to dissuade any shots on goal and keep the goal locked down. 

The 42nd minute saw a failed Bruin possession which resulted in a stolen ball and Pacific Lutheran control. That was when Talon Wagner materialized behind the controlling PLU player with a smooth slide, grabbed control of the ball, and shot a missile from 33 yards out, nailing the top right of the net with a Puskas-worthy goal.
 
Going into the second half, Wagner had tied Fox with the number two-ranked team in the conference 1-1.

The second half followed a significantly slower start than the first half did. The Bruins put up 9 shots total, but had trouble shooting on goal with the pressure of Lute defense. O'Brien saved an incredibly fast shot by Lute Ty Brunner in the 72nd minute, which would have gone in had it not been for a quick dive and quicker hands by O'Brien..

An unfortunate loss of control by the Bruins paved the way for Brunner to send a cross to Conner O'Brien, scoring the second goal of the game with less than seven minutes left. The Bruins fought hard, but were ultimately unable to score a second goal, in what would be the game-winner.

Top Performances
Talon Wagner scored in the late first half after stealing the ball from a Lute, and Luke Lidington recorded five shots and one shot on goal. O'Brien recorded six saves and played the full 90 minutes. 

What It Means
GFU takes a loss and sits at 3-8-2 (NWC 3-6-2) after tonight. Pacific Lutheran is now 9-2-2 (NWC 7-1-1)

Coach's Thoughts
"Whenever you play the top teams in the conference you have an opportunity to meet the challenge, and we did that for very long stretches of the game," said Bruin head coach Paul Karver. "I'm really proud of the effort and commitment to the game plan from the guys this evening."

What Happens Next
George Fox will play at home this Sunday at 12 pm facing Puget Sound.