By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

NEWBERG, Ore. -- In a highly-competitive game with first place in the Northwest Conference on the line, Willamette University played a solid game against seven-time defending NWC champion George Fox University, and the Bearcats held a 10-8 lead in the fourth quarter, before the Bruins rallied for a 13-10 win on Friday, April 19. Willamette hoped to defeat the Bruins and move into a tie with GFU for first place in the NWC. The win improved George Fox to 10-3 overall, 9-0 in the NWC. Willamette moved to 10-3 on the season, 7-2 in the NWC.

Both teams have three games remaining in the regular season. Willamette holds second place in the NWC standings by one game over Whitworth University (6-3). The Bearcats will host Linfield University on Sunday, April 21 during Senior Day for the Willamette women's lacrosse team. Prior to the game, the Bearcat will honor Kendyl Jennings (Sr., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS), the only senior on this year's team.

Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) led Willamette's attack against George Fox on Friday night with four goals and three assists for seven points. She has scored 50 goals and a school record 43 assists this season for 93 points. Her career stats increased to 134 goals, 122 goals, and 256 points.

George Fox took a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes on goals by Marena Tharpe at 13:29 and by Olivia Geyling at 11:26. The goal by Geyling was short-handed, scored just second before a green card penalty against Sasha Thayer of GFU expired. Willamette countered with three goals. Shea Richardson-Pepper (Jr., DEF/MID, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) earned WU's first goal at 7:07 on an assist from Bachiochi, and Bachiochi added goals at the 4:11 mark and with 1:11 to play in the first quarter.

The Bearcats took their 3-2 advantage into the second period. GFU responded with three goals of its own, starting with two by Tharpe. Carleigh DeLapp completed the run with a goal at 9:24, giving the Bruins a 5-3 edge. The Bearcats tallied the nest two goals, as Bachiochi scored on an unassisted shot with 7:42 on the clock, and Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) hit the net with a free-position shot less than a minute later at 6:54. The score remained 5-5 at halftime.

A goal by Richardson-Pepper with 12:42 left in the third quarter broke the tie and put WU in front 6-5. Each team scored once during the next two minutes, leaving WU with a 7-6 lead after Alyssa Molisee (Fy., MID/ATT, Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) connected on a free-position shot at 10:44. Tharpe and Ava Bluhm both earned a goal to give the Bruins an 8-7 edge. The final goal of the third quarter was scored by Molisee and assisted by Bachiochi for an 8-8 tie at the 1:19 mark.

Molisee's goal started a 3-0 run for the Bearcats. Bachiochi moved past a defender and scored with 10:48 to play and then assisted on a goal by Jennings with 7:55 on the clock for a 10-8 lead.

The Bruins grabbed the ensuing draw control and scored 10 seconds later on a shot by DeLapp. A goal by Morgan Maxfield of GFU with 7:16 left in the game tied the score at 10-10. Geyling tacked on a goal at 5:31 as the Bruins moved in front. GFU tacked on two goals in the final three minutes for the three-goal final margin.

George Fox gained a 32-24 lead in total shots and held a 22-13 margin in shots on target. Willamette goalkeeper Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) supplied WU with nine saves, while goalie Emma Webb of GFU made three saves.

Turnovers were almost equal, as GFU lost the ball 23 times and Willamette committed 22 turnovers. The Bruins held a slim 20-18 edge in ground balls and earned a 17-10 advantage in draw controls. George Fox won seven of eight draw controls in the fourth quarter after owning a slim 10-9 lead in draws over the first three quarters.

Molisee and Richardson-Pepper each tallied two goals for the Bearcats. Austin led WU with four ground balls, while Pearl and Bachiochi each claimed three ground balls. Syd Shoemaker (Fy., DEF, Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS) was credited with four draw controls and Richardson-Pepper achieved three. Brielle Moore (Fy., D, San Diego, CA/Valhalla HS) caused four GFU turnovers and Bachiochi forced three turnovers. For GFU, Tharpe registered seven draw controls and Gabrielle Muzquiz provided six ground balls.