TACOMA, Wash. — The George Fox men's soccer team ended their weekend in Washington with a 3-0 loss against the Pacific Lutheran Lutes.
How It Happened
It didn't take long until PLU was showing off their offense on the field. Both George Fox and Pacific Lutheran were able to record some shots, but it took until the 15th minute for the ball to come closer to the goal. The Lutes had senior Connor O'Brien to thank for their offensive aggression. O'Brien snuck in a goal to put Pacific Lutheran on the board, but it was only seconds later that he secured another goal to give PLU a 2-0 advantage.
From then on out, it became a defensive battle — especially at the Bruins' net. GFU's goalkeeper
Joshua Adams-Vakulenko was able to save three shots 19 minutes in to prevent anymore Pacific Lutheran goals. Leading the offensive charge for Fox was Landon Gordon; after finding his way to the net, he placed a good shot to the top left that was unfortunately saved to keep George Fox in a deficit. In the final seconds of the first period, the Lutes tried to gain another goal, but — once again — Adams-Vakulenko was there to stop any ball from seeing the back of the net, 2-0.
In the second half, Pacific Lutheran picked up right where they left off and were quickly back to putting shots on goal. Adams-Vakulenko was able to save shots all over the net, but after a save at 58 minutes, PLU's relentless attacks returned once again moments later; they were able to eventually make it through Adams-Vakulenko's wall to give the Lutes an even bigger lead, 3-0.
From then on out, the Bruins offense was resilient and kept trying to find opportunities on the field to make something happen. In the 76th minute, Rubén Velázquez was able to sneak through PLU's defense for a powerful top left shot, but the Lutes' goalkeeper sadly saved it. GFU's defense was able to prevent any more Pacific Lutheran attacks for the rest of the game, resulting in a 3-0 PLU win.
Top Performances
Many players for the Bruins had shots, including
Carson Tapia,
Aidan Brouddus,
Cameron Wind,
Raiden Renggli,
Zac LeVin, Rubén Velázquez, and
Liam Urbina; however, only Wind and Velázquez were each able to secure a shot on goal. Defensively,
Talon Wagner battled the entire game for GFU. Goalkeeper
Joshua Adams-Vakulenko also played the entire 90 minutes while also recording a total of seven saves.
What It Means
PLU rises to 4-1-1 (2-0-0 NWC) while GFU falls to 1-4-1 (1-2-1 NWC).
Coach's Thoughts
"Today we had 3 moments that cost us that's part of growth and learning," said Bruin head coach
Paul Karver. "No question we are frustrated because we know how much quality we have but we have to continue to learn and grow. We are leaving Tacoma with a point from the weekend and more answers than questions so we can grow on that."
What Happens Next
The Bruins will head back to their home turf in Newberg, Ore. for their next game against Linfield on Sunday, September 27. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
GFU Lost
