NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's soccer team scored late in the first half and held off Whitworth to win a shutout senior day game, 1-0.
How it Happened
The day started with the honoring of the seniors on the team:
Chase Nelson,
Eli McIntyre,
Zac LeVin,
Wilson Fresh, and
Bear Jarman, who all started for the Bruins in their match against Whitworth.
The day began with both teams testing the other's defense. Whitworth broke through first with a low-left shot by Lucas Waarvick, who was blocked by the well-timed placement of defender
Aiden Schultz. The 'Bucs were able to make a break again and again, but the Bruins' resolve was strong; the defense blocked four of those shots and Nelson made an easy save of the only shot on goal.
Thirteen minutes in, George Fox saw their first shot of the game when
Aidan Brouddus's pass found an open LeVin and an exposed goal. The shot was just narrowly saved in the bottom-left corner by Whitworth's goalkeeper Henrik Dahlgren, but the tone had been set for the game.
The Bruin men echoed what Whitworth had done minutes earlier, with multiple shots being blocked by defenders or pressured into going out. However, the pressure was on the Pirate goal and George Fox did not let up, nearly scoring after Maxwell Visser received the corner kick and placed a shot on goal with a header. Incredibly, Whitworth was able to save and clear the bobbled ball.
Bruin and Pirate went shot for shot throughout the rest of the half, but Fox found the opening they were looking for. Bruin
Carson Tapia, assisted by Fresh and Brouddus, marched right through a throng of Whitworth jerseys and made a scoring shot just left of Dahlgren's outstretched gloves. Fox now had the edge at 1-0.
Intensity increased in the second half with George Fox placing 5 shots in 13 minutes. LeVin, Visser,
Isaac Wilson, and
Alec Buongervino each recorded a shot that was blocked or pressured out, and Tapia found his shot on goal but right into the gloves of Dahlgren.
The Bruins kept constant pressure on Whitworth's end of the field. Gaining a free kick in the 60th minute, Brouddus made a shot on goal that rocketed above the defense and was saved by Dahlgren. 12 minutes later, LeVin capitalized on a defender's blunder and made a shot on goal that was saved by Dahlgren once again, but Whitworth could not make up the ground they had lost to Fox before the end of the half. Fox kept the lead at 1-0.
Top Performances
Carson Tapia made the game-winning goal late in the first half and also recorded seven shots and two shots on goal.
Zac LeVin placed five shots and also had two shots on goal, while Maxwell Visser,
Aidan Brouddus, and
Talon Wagner each made a shot on goal.
Chase Nelson had a clean sheet on the day, recording two saves.
Coach's Thoughts
"Senior day is always an emotional day and the boys did a fantastic job of managing those emotions," Bruin head coach
Paul Karver said, "Today was a full team effort and we couldn't be more proud of this group to earn an important result today."
What it Means
George Fox wins their senior night game and moves to 4-10-3 (NWC 4-8-3), while Whitworth falls to 4-11-3 (NWC 2-9-3).
What Happens Next
The George Fox Men's soccer team will play their last game of the season against Pacific on November 6, 2026, at 5 pm in Forest Grove, Ore.
