NEWBERG, Ore. – In their second game against the PLU Lutes, the George Fox women's soccer team fell 3-0 after conceding an early goal.
How it Happened
Pacific Lutheran claimed a 1-0 lead within the first two minutes of the game, with forward Kamila Novotny finding the lower-left corner on her first shot. In the sixth minute, the Lutes pressured again, taking three shots in quick succession, though Fox's defense neutralized the threat. The following minute saw
Myann Johansen stop a ball that was heading for the lower-right corner of the goal. Play continued back and forth for the next eight minutes, as PLU held the advantage in possession. Then, a Lute player looked to put another point on the board, but Johansen's positioning helped her to make the save again. 21 minutes in, the Lutes tried to score another time, shooting for the lower-left corner; Johansen claimed possession once more.
With their seventh corner kick of the game, the Lutes nearly notched a second goal, but Johansen tipped the ball onto the crossbar, sending it away from the net. Though Fox managed to get the ball onto the opposition's side a few times, the team didn't record a shot until the 30th minute, with
Grace Bittner sending the ball over the crossbar. Nearly 10 minutes of evenly contested play passed before either team would make an attempt, with the next shot coming from GFU's
Chloe Rocha. Her attempt fell right of the goal. The Lutes took another shot in the 40th minute, but it flew above the net.
Lindsey Kong aimed for the goal, but her shot was blocked, leading to a George Fox corner kick, though the team was unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity. Soon after,
Morgan Phalen took a free kick for the home team, leading
Addie Wolff to strike on goal, but the Lute goalie kept her from scoring. The first half ended 1-0, with PLU outshooting Fox 9-4.
The Lutes took their first shot in the 49th minute, with the ball soaring high above the net. Four minutes later, Fox was in trouble as a Lute player turned a shot on the goal, but Johansen kept her composure, completing the save. In the 65th minute, the Lutes made another effort to increase their lead, but Johansen logged a sliding save. Bittner then tried to equalize on a Phalen corner kick, though the ball cleared the crossbar. Rocha was guarded by many defenders but still managed to take a shot; PLU's goalie kept her team in the lead, however.
Fox's defense started to slip: in the 73rd minute, a PLU corner kick led the team to extend the gap to 2-0, with Liv Olson heading the ball into the lower-right corner of the net. A minute later, Johansen stopped a Lute attempt on goal. With 13 minutes remaining, Pacific Lutheran's Zoe Markquart smashed the ball into the lower-right corner, increasing the gap to 3-0.
Fox desperately tried to close the gap. Six minutes after PLU's third goal,
Erin Lam took a shot from outside the 18-yard box, but the Lute keeper made another save. In the 84th minute, PLU's goalie picked up Rocha's central shot. Kong,
Sarah Burkes, and Rocha all shot in the following two minutes, but all three attempts missed. The final effort came in the 90th minute, with
Eliza Kamphouse looking to minimize the gap, though the ball fell left of the goal. Though Fox outshot PLU 8-6 in the second half, the team ultimately fell 3-0.
Top Performances
Chloe Rocha led the team with four shots, two being on goal.
Erin Lam,
Sarah Burkes,
Lindsey Kong, and
Myann Johansen each played for 90 minutes.
Myann Johansen notched six saves.
What it Means
Fox slips to 2-9-1 (1-8-1 NWC). The Lutes pick up their fourth consecutive win to put their record at 7-2-3 (5-1-2 NWC).
What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in Newberg, Ore., to square off against the nationally-ranked Puget Sound Loggers. Kickoff is at 2:45 pm on Sunday, October 18.
