Bearcats Fall to Rival Linfield, 2-0, in NWC Action on Sparks Field

By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- In its final game of the weekend, Willamette University's women's soccer team ran into a high-powered squad from Linfield College with the Bearcats falling 2-0 Sunday in Northwest Conference action on Sparks Field.

With today's win, Linfield moves to 7-2-0 overall and 4-2-0 in NWC games. Meanwhile, Willamette falls to 2-7-1 overall and 1-4-1 in NWC contests.

The opening 30 minutes of the game would be a back-and-forth battle with McKenzie Andringa (Jr., MF, Yakima, WA/La Salle HS) getting Willamette's best scoring chance at 4:27 when she unloaded a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that forced Linfield's goalkeeper to make one of her two saves on the afternoon.

At 31:04, Willamette was whistled for a foul in the box when Brenna McGown (Sr., D, Boise, ID/Boise HS) pulled down a Linfield player giving a penalty kick to the Wildcats. Linfield's Emily Fellows stepped up to the penalty circle and calmly directed a shot into the right side of the net for her seventh goal of the season, as she rocketed the shot past a diving Willamette keeper who had guessed correctly but could not stretch far enough to get her hand on the ball.

Neither team would score again in the first half, as Linfield registered six shots compared to Willamette's three in the opening 45 minutes. Both teams tallied a corner kick with the Bearcats being whistled for 16 fouls versus the Wildcats' six.

In the second half, Willamette did not muster much offense against Linfield with the Wildcats extending their lead to two goals on a score by Marisa Specht at 72:11 off an assist by Ellie Schmidt for her second goal of the year.

Throughout the final 45 minutes of play, Linfield controlled the majority of the offensive possessions registering 11 shots to Willamette's four.

WU goalkeeper Emily Sewall (So., GK, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) suffered the loss for the Bearcats despite making a game-high five saves, while Linfield's Laurel Huth tallied two saves for the Wildcats in picking up her second victory of the year.

For the game, Linfield held a 10-shot advantage (17-to-7) that included a 7-to-2 difference in shots on goal. The Wildcats would be awarded the only two corner kicks in the second half, as Linfield concluded the game with a 3-to-1 advantage in that category. Overall, Willamette was whistled for 24 fouls compared to Linfield's 12 with the Bearcats being issued the game's only two cautions via a pair of yellow cards.