TACOMA, Wash. – The George Fox women's soccer team took on Pacific Lutheran University, playing to a 0-0 draw, as the Bruins' defensive efforts kept PLU off the scoreboard.
How it Happened
The start of the game was largely back-and-forth, with the first shot occurring in the ninth minute by Fox's Maddilan Twitchell. In the next three minutes, PLU launched a shot into the low center, saved by
Marisa Lam. Twitchell recorded a shot on goal 16 minutes in, but the Lute goalie completed a save.
Morgan Gill had an opportunity to score in the following few minutes, meeting the crossbar instead. With 13 minutes left in the first half, the Lutes shot; Lam momentarily bobbled the ball before securing it.
A yellow card issued to Lam briefly put Fox under pressure, but the team's defense held firm. Lam kept the ball out of the net after the Lutes followed with their third shot on goal.
Mia Kalina fired a high shot in the 36th minute; soon after, Lam registered another save. Twitchell chanced a header on goal, barely missing over the crossbar, finalizing the scoreless first half.
Early in the second half, Fox's defense maintained its composure despite two corner kicks and a near miss from PLU. Defender
Morgan Phalen fed a pass to Kalina, but the ensuing shot was cut off. Nine minutes in, another PLU corner kick saw Phalen narrowly intercept an attempt on goal. The Bruins continued their defense, blocking a shot that came three minutes later. Fox was put to the test again due to a free kick by the Lutes, but
Myann Johansen shut down the strike, logging her first save of the game.
Her second save came in the 24th minute—the Lutes arced a shot high and center, but Johansen leapt to claim the ball. GFU blocked another shot five minutes later. In the last two minutes, the Lutes tried once more to score, but were blocked by Fox's defense. In the end, neither team scored, leaving the score at 0-0.
Top Performances
Marisa Lam notched four saves and
Myann Johansen completed two. Midfielders
Lindsey Kong and
Maci Bowman played the entire 90 minutes alongside defenders
Sarah Burkes and
Mia Kalina. Maddilan Twitchell led the team in shots, taking three with one being on goal.
What it Means
The Bruins logged their first tie of the season, making their record 1-4-1 (0-3-1 NWC). The Lutes are now at 3-1-2 (1-0-1 NWC).
Coach's Thoughts
"A tie isn't a win but getting a point against a top tier program is a step toward the future we see in this team," said Bruin head coach
Brooke Alteneder. "We are learning every day and every week, adding more pieces and this gives us a lot to work with moving forward into conference play. I'm very proud of our performance today and seeing continued buy in to our game model."
What Happens Next
George Fox will head back home to Newberg, Ore. to face the rival Linfield Wildcats, with kickoff scheduled for 2:45 pm on Sunday, September 27.
