Press Release
10/6 - GEORGE FOX 3, LINFIELD 2: Bruins Battle Back to Rattle Wildcats in Overtime
McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Down 2-0 at halftime, George Fox University scored twice in the second half to tie the game and Kirsten Cardwell's header eight minutes into overtime won it for the Bruins 3-2 over the Linfield College Wildcats in a Northwest Conference women's soccer match here at the Linfield soccer field Saturday afternoon.
Steph Caster got the Wildcats going with an unassisted goal in the 25th minute, hooking a shot into the top left corner of the net past Bruin goalkeeper Jessica Cardwell. With just under nine minutes left in the half, Caster drilled home her second goal of the match with assists by Kelli Gillespie and Kim Skelly. Their two passes found Caster alone less than fifteen yards from the net, where she converted for her fourth goal of the season, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
The tide turned in the second half, however, as George Fox cut the lead in two in the 57th minute when Jenny McKinsey assisted on Amber Stevens' seventh goal of the season. Linfield held George Fox in check until 10 minutes left in the game when Nicole Akiu got loose past Wildcat defenders and scored the equalizer, with McKinsey tallying her second assist of the game on the play.
Stevens picked up an assist on the game-winning goal, passing to Cardwell for a header to the left corner of the net which beat Wildcat goalkeeper Kelsey Hasselblad at the 98:16 mark. It was the fifth goal of the season for the Bruins' freshman midfielder, whose older sister is the Bruins' keeper.
Jessica Cardwell had eight saves on the afternoon for the Bruins, running her record to 5-3, while Hasselblad tallied seven saves for the Wildcats. The game was evenly contested, the Bruins taking 14 shots to 13 for the Wildcats, and each team getting 10 shots on goal. George Fox controlled the corner kicks 7-3.
Both teams play again Sunday at 12:00 noon in Tacoma, Wash. George Fox (8-3, NWC 5-2) visits 5th-ranked University of Puget Sound, while Linfield (4-5-1, NWC 3-4) goes to Pacific Lutheran University.