NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's soccer team pulled out their first win in style, fighting through the rain to take down the Lewis & Clark River Otters, 4-3, in a game that featured all seven goals in the second half.
How it Happened
While neither team recorded a goal in the first half, that doesn't mean it was uneventful. The Bruin pelted the River Otter goal from the opening minute, with
Wilson Fresh recording a shot in the opening 1:25.
Zac LeVin had the best chance for the Bruins early, but missed a penalty kick to keep the game scoreless. The graduate student notched another shot on goal just two minutes later — one of four shots on goal that the Bruins had in the period. Though the Bruins outshot the Otts, 9-4, the game was scoreless in the first half.
Right at the beginning of the second half, the GFU press box lost power and WiFi. What followed next was every sports information director's nightmare: a thrilling, back-and-forth battle that none of the fans outside of the stadium could watch as the two teams combined for seven goals over a 28-minute stretch. Lewis & Clark started the scoring with a goal in the 58th minutes, and it was off from there.
While the River Otters' goals all came on transition pieces, the Bruins turned to
Zac LeVin for theirs. The graduate transfer worked with his childhood teammate
Aidan Brouddus to put a ball into the lower right corner of the net. Just four minutes later, LeVin did it again, sneaking another ball by the L&C goalkeeper to put his team ahead, 2-1. In the 75th minute, LeVin capped off his third goal with another goal in the low right corner, this time on an assist from Fresh; LeVin recorded the first hat trick for the Bruins since 2012, and did so in the span of 13 minutes.
The scoring still wasn't done for the teams, though; Sam Colton scored on another counter attack just two minutes after LeVin's third goal, and the game was within one goal again, 3-2. The Bruins quickly countered, drawing their second penalty of the game. This time,
Paul Karver turned to
Talon Wagner, who knocked one by to put GFU back up two. Though the River Otters managed one more goal, it was the Bruins who walked away victorious, 4-3.
Top Performances
Zac LeVin recorded the first hat trick for the Bruins in a counting game since Luke Hammer against Pacific in October 2012, scoring three and notching a staggering seven shots on goal.
Talon Wagner had the other goal for the Bruins, while
Aidan Brouddus and
Wilson Fresh each recorded an assist. Wagner and
Liam Urbina played the full game for the Bruins on the defensive end, helping Fox earn the win.
What it Means
Fox picks up their first victory of the season, moving to 1-3-0 (1-1-0 NWC), while Lewis & Clark falls to 0-5-0 (0-2-0 NWC).
Coach's Thoughts
"Lewis and Clark are very well coached and have proven to be a challenge in our conference, today was no different," said Bruin head coach
Paul Karver. "The grit we showed to take the lead from behind and then fend them off was fantastic. We showed an enormous amount of growth in the game and we will continue to do so as we move forward into more conference games."
What Happens Next
The Bruins will hit the road for their next set of games, traveling up to Tacoma, Wash. to face the Puget Sound Loggers at noon on Saturday, September 19.
