Press Release
10/14 - GEORGE FOX 3, PACIFIC LUTHERAN 2: Bruins Score in Final Minute to Upend Lutes
NEWBERG, Ore. - Carol Christiansen, broken wrist and all, scored her first goal of the season with 22 seconds left in the game, lifting the George Fox University Bruins to a 3-2 win over the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes in a Northwest Conference women's soccer match Sunday afternoon here at Morse Field.
The first half was a defensive struggle as George Fox managed only four shots and Pacific Lutheran only one, but the Lutes made theirs count. After a George Fox foul near the right corner of the penalty box, Monica Beard quickly centered the ball to Melissa Buitrago, who sent a line drive into the left corner of the net before the Bruin defense had time to set itself at the 11:27 mark. It was her fourth goal of the year.
The offenses opened up in the second half, with George Fox taking 15 shots and Pacific Lutheran seven. Molly Schaefer scored back-to-back goals, her second and third of the season, to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. Her first came at 51:08 on a pass from Amber Stevens, and her second came at 65:27 with an assist from Jenny McKinsey.
The Lutes tied the game again with just over ten minutes left. Beard lofted a high ball into the middle of the penalty box from outside the right corner of the box after a Bruin foul, where keeper Jessica Cardwell punched the ball out toward the right side of the box. Jill Trumbull was there to corral the loose ball for the Lutes, and reversed it just inside the far post for her first goal of the season and the tie.
The game was decided in the final 30 seconds when Stevens, following a PLU foul, sent the ball from the left sideline into the center of the box. After a brief scrum as players tried to come up with the loose ball, Christiansen gained possession and threaded a shot between two defenders and past screened-out keeper Amanda Tschauner into the net's mid-section for the winner.
George Fox finished with 19 total shots, 15 on goal, to eight and five for Pacific Lutheran. The Bruins also held a 4-1 edge in corners. Tschauner had 11 saves for the Lutes, while Cardwell, who became the Bruins' all-time leader in shutouts with 17 in a 0-0 tie at Willamette Thursday, had three.
George Fox (9-4-1, NWC 6-3-1) visits Whitworth University Saturday for a 12:00 noon contest. Pacific Lutheran (3-9-2, NWC 2-7-1) travels across Tacoma to play 5th-ranked University of Puget Sound Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.