NEWBERG, Ore. — The George Fox women's soccer team kicked off conference play with a tough 2-0 loss against the Willamette Bearcats.
How It Happened
The first half was truly a battle of the goalkeepers. The Bearcats came out aggressive with the start of the first half, but it took until the ninth minute for their shots to find their way closer to the goal. Over the next 13 minutes, Willamette found ways to get shots on goal, but thanks to goalkeeper
Marisa Lam, no ball was able to find the back of the net.
It took until the 38th minute for George Fox to see some offensive action.
Mia Kalina paved the way for Fox with a shot on target to the bottom left of the goal, but a diving save from Isabella Arias-Lasalde kept the game scoreless. While the Bearcats were able to sneak in one more shot on goal — ultimately stopped by Lam's steady hands — the first half concluded in a 0-0 standstill.
Much like the first half, the Bearcats came out relentless in the second half. Four minutes in, Willamette claimed the first goal of the game to take a 1-0 lead. Despite WU's lead, the Bruins weren't going down without a fight. Shots from
Erin Lam as well as Emilee Sounder kept Willamette on their toes, but neither shot was able to fall. With 23 minutes left in the game, the Bearcats secured another goal to widen the gap in score. For the rest of the game M. Lam continued to work at the net, but Willamette was able to take the game, 2-0.
Top Performances
Despite their loss, the Lady Bruins sure put up a fight — especially goalkeeper
Marisa Lam. After playing the entire game, she ended the night with five saves. Defensively,
Sarah Burkes and
Sophia Mapes also competed for the whole 90 minute game to limit the Bearcats. On the offensive end,
Erin Lam,
Emilee Souder, and
Mia Kalina each recorded a shot on goal to lead GFU's offense.
What It Means
Willamette rises to 3-0 (1-0 NWC), while George Fox falls to 1-2 (0-1 NWC) in the early season.
What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins have a quick turnaround and will remain on their home turf for their next competition against Lewis & Clark on Sunday, September 13. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:45 pm.
