Bearcats Get Set to Kick Off Second Half of Conference Play

By Evan Giddings, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- Since beginning Northwest Conference play, the Willamette University men's soccer team has achieved a 5-1-1 record. The Bearcats will be looking to continue their success this weekend as they take on two NWC opponents.

Willamette, 8-4-1 overall, will battle George Fox University on Friday, Oct. 17. The game is set for 6:00 p.m. (PDT) in Newberg, Ore. On Sunday, Oct. 19, WU will play at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.

The Bearcats are currently tied with University of Puget Sound (5-1-1) for second place in the NWC standings. The first seven conference games this season have been the best start in conference play for the Bearcats since 2002.

Willamette played only one game last weekend. The Bearcats came out on top of a close contest with a 1-0 win over rival Linfield College. WU continued its unbeaten streak, which has now reached five games.

The only goal of the game came at the 70:30 mark when Yazan Hishmeh (Jr., F, Ventura, CA/Saint Bonaventure HS) scored on a shot from the top of the penalty area after receiving a pass from the right side by Julian Hanlon-Austin (So., F, Portland, OR/Grant HS). Hishmeh moved past two defenders while going to his right, then while near the center of the field he shot the ball into the right side of the net.

It was Hishmeh's team-leading 11th goal of the season and his fifth game-winning goal of the year.

Through the first half of the game, Linfield outshot Willamette 10-8 in the first half, and the closest the Wildcats came to scoring was in the 16th minute. Midfielder Moi Diaz blasted a powerful shot from 30 yards out, but it was saved by Braydon Calder (Jr., GK, Philomath, OR/Philomath HS). Calder extended upward on the high shot and tipped it over the cross bar.

Calder recorded four saves for the Bearcats, while achieving his second complete-game shutout of the season. As a result of his efforts, he was awarded the NWC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

So far this season, Calder has achieved 47 saves, tied for third amongst the Northwest Conference leaders. Also, after Saturday's performance against Linfield, he is now tied for third in the conference in shutouts (2), while having logged the fourth-most goalkeeping minutes in the NWC (894:03).

On offense, Hishmeh leads the team in both goals (11) and points (23). Within the conference rankings, he is tied for first in goals and second in points.

Alan Hernandez (Fr., F,Tigard, OR/ Tigard HS) and Jesse Thompson (Jr., F, Santa Ynez, CA/Santa Ynez HS) rank second on the team with three goals each, while Tyler Yates (Jr., F, Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS) has dished out a team-high five assists so far this season for the Bearcats.

George Fox, 2-9-1 on the season, comes into Friday's game having lost all seven of its NWC matches. The Bruins have allowed 27 goals so far in conference play, the most of any team.

Luke Hammer leads the Bruins with seven goals (tied for third most in the NWC) and also has a team-high 10 points. In the teams' first match-up on Oct. 5, Willamette bested George Fox 4-1 at Sparks Field in Salem, Ore.

As for the Bearcats' opponent on Sunday, Pacific has a 5-6-1 record overall, and 2-4-1 mark in NWC play. Back on Oct. 4, the Boxers tied Willamette at Sparks Field, 1-1. Goalkeeper Leyton Thomassen leads the Pacific defense and is first in the Northwest Conference with 57 saves. He also has completed three shutouts to rank second in the NWC.

Mark Watson (Jr., MF/F) tops the Pacific scoring chart. He has contributed six goals and one assist for 13 total points. Ian Farley (Sr., F) has scored three goals and two assists for eight points.