Bearcats and Bruins Play to Scoreless Tie in NWC Action on Sparks Field

By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- In its first home game since mid-September, Willamette University's women's soccer team controlled the offense throughout but could not score against George Fox University resulting in a scoreless tie in double overtime in Northwest Conference action Saturday on Sparks Field.

With today's result, Willamette moves to 2-6-1 overall and 1-3-1 in Northwest Conference games. Meanwhile, George Fox remains winless at 0-6-3 overall and 0-3-2 in NWC matches.

Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Bearcats controlled the tempo registering nine shots to GFU's one. Jill Phillips (Jr., MF/GK, Fairbanks, AK/West Valley HS) nearly put Willamette on the board when she rifled a free kick from 20 yards out that hit the cross bar at 40:10 before skirting out-of-bounds.

Defensively, Willamette was not challenged much in the first half with Emily Sewall (So., GK, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) only seeing one shot come her way off the foot of George Fox's Sarah Tuemmler that went wide of the net at 29:18.

The second half would see Willamette continue its dominance, as the Bearcats unleashed 13 shots (5 on-target) compared to George Fox's one. At 81:37, Sarah Desautels (Sr., MF/F, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Park HS) had the best scoring change for Willamette when she sent a shot high above the cross bar from 18 yards out.

In the final seconds of regulation, Emmy Manset (Fr., F, Ventura, CA/Foothill Technology HS) nearly broke the hearts of the Bruins for the second year in a row when she chased down a ball in the box and forced GFU's goalkeeper to make a diving save with one second on the clock.

With neither team finding the back of the net over the first 90 minutes, Willamette was forced to play its first overtime game of the season with George Fox playing their third extra time contest of the year.

In the first overtime, both teams would turn up their offensive pressure with Willamette registering three shots to George Fox's two. At 95:17, Phillips once again had a chance to end the game only to watch her shot sail high off a corner kick by Desautels.

The final period would see Willamette continue showing its offensive presence, as the Bearcats took three shots with the second one coming from Emma Sanders (So., MF, Kennewick, WA/Southridge HS) when she unleashed a shot from inside the box that hit the outside edge of the left post before rolling over the end line at 108:57.

Neither team would crack its opposing goal, as the game ended in a 0-0 tie and pushed each team's scoreless streak to 158 minutes and 19 seconds for Willamette and 611 minutes and 46 seconds for George Fox.

Sewall (So., GK, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) registered four saves in earning the tie for the Bearcats, while George Fox's Ally Swanson tallied a game-high 11 saves for the Bruins in the deadlock game.

Overall, Willamette ended the game with a 21-shot advantage (28-to-7) that included a combined 16-6 difference over the final three periods. Willamette earned all four corner kicks in the game, while the Bearcats were also whistled for 19 fouls compared to George Fox's 13. The only offside call of the game was whistled on Willamette late in the second half.

Willamette will continue its short two-game Northwest Conference home stand tomorrow - Sunday, Oct. 5 - against Linfield College. Game time is slated for 12 p.m. (PDT) on Sparks Field in Salem.