NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's lacrosse team battled it out against the Willamette Bearcats, going into sudden-death overtime and coming out with the victorious 8-7 win thanks to a game winning goal from Lana Davis.

How It Happened
The Bearcats were the first to score in the 10th minute, 1-0. In the minutes following, both teams had their share of turnovers, and Willamette had multiple shots, many aiming wide, and two were saved by Gabrielle McClung. They got successful again and eventually found another in the back of the net, now 2-0. At the end of one, Fox was trailing, held scoreless in the first.

The second was when the Bruins were ready to tie it up. Not even a full minute in, Fox carried it up from their half to the attacking end, and Ava Bluhm completed the assist to Merrick Gibson for the Bruins' first goal. Two minutes later, Bluhm got herself on the scoring train after a ground ball pickup and pass by Lana Davis, (2-2). Fox attempted five more shots but didn't complete any before the clock ran out to go into halftime. 

The third held a good start for Fox as they were on a mission to keep Willamette held at two. They scored in the 11th minute, beginning with a save by McClung, a clear attempt by the Bruins, then a foul on the Bearcats resulting in a free position attempt, which Davis took and finished with ease, giving a 3-2 lead. 30 seconds following, Gibson controlled the ball after a Willamette turnover and handed it to Bluhm to get her second goal of the day (4-2). McClung showed with another two saves before one slipped through, getting the Bearcats one closer, 4-3. In the final minute of the period, a clear attempt by Fox resulted in a Bluhm assist to Sasha Thayer, 5-3.

The fourth was an emotional roller-coaster, with neither team letting the other get too comfortable. Willamette opened with a goal of their own, but didn't have long to celebrate as Fox answered, Bluhm scoring off an Alli Stilp assist, 6-4. In the seventh minute, the Bearcats found a rare own goal thanks to an unlucky bounce, and two minutes later, scored again another to tie it up, 6-6. With four minutes remaining, Bluhm stayed on fire and scored again, assisted by Davis. With the fate of the game on the line and barely a minute left on the clock, Willamette tied it up (7-7) and forced the game into overtime. 

It was the first overtime for GFU since 2017, when the Bruins defeated Whittier, 13-12, on a Jess Hanson goal in the second overtime. This time around, Fox wouldn't need as long to take advantage of the sudden death format. The Bruins didn't even break a sweat as Lana Davis won the important draw control, Thayer ending up with the ball and passing back to Davis to score the game winner, just 36 seconds after the whistle blew as Fox walked away with the 8-7 win. 

Top Performances 
Lana Davis scored two goals — including the game winner — two assists, and three draw controls, while Ava Bluhm finished with four goals, two assists, and draw controls. Sasha Thayer held a goal and an assist, as well as four ground ball pickups. Merrick Gibson also had a goal and an assist, while Claire Abraham had a team-high seven draw controls. Gabrielle McClung tracked down a career-high 11 saves in goal and got the win. 

Coach's Thoughts
"The team battled with grace through everything thrown at them today," said Bruin head coach Jordyn Merkel. "They fought hard and got the job done."

What It Means
The Bruins stayed undefeated in conference, moving their undefeated NWC streak to 87 as they move to a record of 10-3 (4-0 NWC). The Bearcats are 4-8 overall (2-2 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins will travel to Tacoma, Wash., to take on another conference foe, Pacific Lutheran, on Saturday, April 18th at 1 PM.