Bearcats Down Corban 22-8, with 6 Goals by Kawamura; Garcia Reaches 102 Goals

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALAM, Ore. -- Willamette University set a school record for goals scored with a 22-8 win over Corban University on Wednesday, Feb. 15 on the Corban campus. Catie Kawamura (Sr., ATT, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) led Willamette's attack by scoring six goals. Maddie Garcia (Sr., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy) and Brooklynn Pearl (Fy., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) each contributed four goals, while Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) added one goal and four assists. The Bearcats improved to 2-0 on the season while Corban fell to 0-1.

The previous school record for goals in a game was 21, set in a 21-0 win over Augsburg University (Minn.) on March 16, 2022, and in a 21-19 win at Whitman College on April 10, 2022. Willamette's offensive output on Wednesday was the fourth time the Bearcats have scored at least 20 goals in a game. Willamette defeated Pacific University 20-4 on April 20, 2022.

Kawamura extended her Willamette career scoring record to 124 points on 96 goals and 28 assists. Garcia became the first Willamette women's lacrosse player to reach the 100-goal mark with her four goals at Corban. She has scored 102 goals to go along with nine assists, and is second on the career scoring list with 111 points.

The Warriors were ready to surprise the Bearcats, as Corban scored two goals in the first 1:22 of the game for a 2-0 lead. Jillian Phillips scored both goals. After Pearl tallied a goal for the Bearcats with 11:52 left in the first quarter, Phillips scored her third goal at the 8:34 mark to give the Warriors a 3-1 advantage.

Willamette recovered from the early deficit and responded with a 7-0 run to take an 8-3 lead with 11:32 remaining in the half. Phillips recorded just one more goal for Corban.

The run by WU began with a free position shot by Pearl with 7:21 to play in the first quarter. Shea Richardson-Pepper (So., DEF/MID, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) and Tati Klenk (Sr., ATT, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) followed with two quick goals at 6:45 and 6:18. Two fast goals by Kawamura with 2:50 on the clock and Klenk 41 seconds later, gave WU a 6-3 lead at the end of the quarter. With 12:43 left in the half, Kawamura scored on an assist from Bachiochi for a 7-3 edge. Klenk completed the 7-goal surge when she scored shorthanded.

Sydney Davis of Corban scored a player-advantage goal with 10:59 remaining as the Bearcats continued to play shorthanded on a yellow card received by Kiana Gottschalk (Sr., DEF, Bend, OR/Bend HS) at the 11:59 mark. The goal by Davis pulled the Warriors within 8-4, but Willamette earned the next three goals and went on to built a 13-5 lead at halftime.

At halftime, Kawamura had four goals, while Klenk and Pearl each had three goals. Also in the first half, Garcia scored two goals and Bachiochi provided three assists, including an assist on the final goal of the half by Kawamura with 27 seconds left.

In the third quarter, Garcia opened the scoring for WU with a goal at the 9:30 mark. Pearl tacked on a goal less than a minute later for a 15-5 lead. Goals by Davis and Phillips surrounded a goal by Claire Kisielnicki (Fy., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS) of Willamette, as Corban reduced the margin to 16-7. The Bearcats scored the next five goals, including two by Kawamura with 12:46 and 10:28 to go in the game.

Goalkeeper Shelby Sawyer (Sr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) made three saves and picked up the win for Willamette. Payton Nuse of Corban registered six saves while taking the loss.

Willamette outshot the Warriors 36-16 overall and 28-11 in shots on goal. The Bearcats held an 18-16 lead in draw controls, with seven by Richardson-Pepper of Willamette and seven by Kailyn Dawkins of Corban. WU also achieved a 10-2 advantage in ground balls, including three by Garcia.

Corban committed 15 turnovers, while Willamette lost the ball just eight times. Jade Kampen (Sr., DEF, Eugene, OR/South Eugene HS) led the Bearcats by forcing two turnovers, as Willamette was credited with seven caused turnovers overall.

The Bearcats will open Northwest Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 25, when Willamette hosts George Fox University. Game time at Sparks Field is set for 1 p.m. (PST).