Bearcats Improve to 10-3-2 with 2-0 Win over Wildcats

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Shanna Keil (Jr., F) and Emmy Manset (Sr., F) each scored a goal to lead Willamette University to a 2-0 victory over Linfield College at Sparks Field on Saturday, Oct. 21. Willamette advanced its record to 10-3-2 overall, 7-3-1 in the Northwest Conference. Linfield dropped to 6-8-1 on the season, including 4-6-1 in the NWC.

WU goalkeeper Kristen Barclay (Jr.) earned six saves while recording the shutout. She now has a 0.61 goals against average to go with five solo shutouts and three combined shutouts.

Keil scored the game's first goal on the second shot for either team. Yume Matsuyama (So., Saitama, Japan/Bunkyo Gakuin Univ. Girls HS) shot wide left for Willamette just 1:34 into the game. The next shot resulted in Keil's goal at 10:32 following a short run. Her blast from 20 yards out went into the upper right corner of the net.

At the 13:17 mark, Kelsey Walker (Sr., M, Westerville, OH/Westerville North HS) took a shot that was saved by Linfield's Madi Reimer, and Marley Duncan (Sr., F, Pukalani, HI/Kamehameha School) of WU shot the ball hight at 20:08. Linfield earned its first hsot at 24:02 , but Sydney Kuehn's attempt went high.

Neither team scored again before halftime. Willamette outshot the Wildcats 6-2 during the half, including 3-1 in shots on goal.

Linfield countered by outshooting the Bearcats 6-2 in total shots and 5-2 in shot on goal in the second half, but the Wildcats did not score. Barclay provided strong play in goal for the Bearcats, as she registered five of her saves over the final 45 minutes.

Four of Barclay's save in the second half were on shots by Kuehn. Those saves were at 52:30, 61:36, 66:34 and 68:17. Barclay stopped a shot by Michala Sponsel at 74:07.  Meanwhile, Reimer earned her only save of the half on a shot by Walker at 60:35.

After sustaining the shots by Linfield in the first 30 minutes of the second half, the Bearcats doubled their lead to 2-0 when Manset scored at 84:15. Manset made a long run and then powered a shot from 20 yards. The ball went off the left post and into the goal. It was her NWC-leading eighth goal of the season.

Linfield had an opportunity to create a scoring change in the final minute after receiving a corner kick. The kick was taken by Emma Smith at 89:36, but it did not lead to a shot by the Wildcats.

Willamette will travel to Tacoma, Washington, to take on Pacific Lutheran University on Sunday, Oct. 22. Game time is slated for 12 p.m. (PDT).