NEWBERG, Ore. – The George Fox men's soccer team competed fiercely against Linfield until the final whistle, but ultimately dropped the game to the Wildcats, 2-1.
How it Happened
Linfield was hungry for the goal—in the first seven minutes, the team took four shots, including one toward the lower-left corner of the goal that was saved by Fox's Joshua Adams-Vakulenko. The Bruins responded 30 seconds later with an attempt on goal by
Zac LeVin, but the Wildcat keeper held his ground. The next few minutes went without shots as the ball constantly changed possession. In the 13th and 14th minutes, Linfield's two attempts fell short. LeVin took his second shot of the game, but it was blocked.
After six minutes without shots, Linfield broke through off a corner kick to put the Wildcats up 1-0. A few minutes later, Linfield took another shot, missing right.
Aidan Brouddus' shot was blocked soon after. The Bruins and Wildcats fought back and forth for nearly 11 minutes without either team recording a shot. Finally, Brouddus was able to fire a shot on goal from outside the 18-yard box, but Linfield's goalie stopped the ball. Not a minute later, Adams-Vakulenko completed a diving save when a Wildcat midfielder launched a shot. Then, Fox's
Carson Tapia snuck a ball past three of Linfield's defenders, but the goalie picked it up. Brouddus put up two more shots over the next four minutes but was unable to find the back of the net. The score at the end of the first half was 1-0 in Linfield's favor.
The first shot of the second half did not come until nine minutes in; Tapia raced down the field and passed to LeVin, whose shot missed left. All three of Linfield's responding shots were blocked, and George Fox was able to gain possession.
In the 60th minute, LeVin fed Tapia a pass, and Tapia responded with a shot into the lower-left corner of the goal. He scored, bringing the game to 1-1. Fox tried to gain the advantage, but both of its following shots missed the mark.
Linfield shot three times within the 71st minute before finally scoring off a corner kick to take a 2-1 lead. The two teams traded shots back and forth before Linfield recorded five unanswered shots. Adams-Vakulenko came up with a save in the 81st minute. With just over two minutes remaining, Brouddus attempted a header off a cross but came up short. Despite a subsequent free kick, corner kick and throw-in, GFU could not put another point on the board, falling to Linfield, 2-1.
Top Performances
Carson Tapia scored a goal for Fox in the second half.
Aidan Brouddus led the team with five shots, followed by Tapia and
Zac LeVin with four. Goalie Joshua Adams-Vakulenko played the full 90 minutes, as did Brouddus,
Raiden Renggli, and
Talon Wagner. Midfielder
Wilson Fresh also fought for 90 minutes for the first time in his career at Fox.
What it Means
The Bruins' record drops to 1-5-1 (1-3-1 NWC), while Linfield improves to 3-3-2 (2-1-1 NWC).
Coach's Thoughts
"Today was frustrating from the standpoint of how well we played and then the two set piece moments that they were better than us," said Bruin head coach
Paul Karver. "Our growth doesn't reflect the results at the moment so it's very frustrating, but the group is building and the moments are coming."
What Happens Next
The George Fox men's soccer team will travel to Spokane, Wash., to play Whitworth. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday, October 3.
