By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University and University of Puget Sound battled in women's lacrosse on Sunday, March 17 at Sparks Field in a game that featured four ties. After the teams were tied for the final time at 4-4, the Loggers went on a 4-1 run to win the game 8-5. Puget Sound improved to 1-3 overall, 1-2 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette slipped to 1-3 o the season, 0-2 in the NWC.

Although Puget Sound won by three goals, the Loggers held only a slim 6-5 margin after Lexie Andrade (So., ATT, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) scored for the Bearcats with 13:17 remaining. Puget Sound added a goal by Rebecca Simon with 9:30 on the clock and tacked on an insurance goal by Hannah Nichols with 8.3 seconds remaining.

Miranda Piros (Fr., MID, Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) and Anabel Ohsman (So., ATT, Shohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS) each scored their team-leading eighth goal of the season for the Bearcats. Willamette goalkeeper Kara Phillips (Sr., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS) earned 10 saves. Puget Sound goalie Ally Benko registered three saves.

Jenna Kisner of Puget Sound scored the game's first goal at 27:34 on a free position shot. Piros, who scored Willamette's first-ever goal in the season opening win over Johnson & Wales University (Colo.), also produced the Bearcats' first goal on Sunday. Piros quickly answered Kisner's goal by beating Benko with a shot just 41 seconds later at 26:53.

WU surged into the lead at 2-1 about six minutes later, when Alayna Newland (So., ATT, Everett, WA/Archbishop Murphy HS) scored at 20:56. Puget Sound responded quickly, with Kisner claiming her second goal of the game 40 seconds later at 19:24.

Only two more goals were created during the rest of the first half. Ali Walker hit the net with a shot for the Loggers at 10:47 to give the visitors a 3-2 lead. Ohsman created another deadlock when she scored at the 4:46 mark for Willamette.

Early in the second half, Lauren Mastin tallied a goal for Puget Sound at 28:31 and Victoria Glidden (Fr., MID/DEF, Dover, NH/Phillips Exeter Academy) put in a free position shot for the Bearcats at 26:03, leaving the game in a 4-4 tie. The defenses took over for more than 11 minutes, before two quick goals by Hannah Nichols and Ali Walker at 14:39 and 13:17 gave the Loggers a 6-4 advantage.

The Loggers outshot Willamette 27-14 overall and 18-8 in shots on goal, but Phillips kept many of Puget Sound's shots out of the net. Team totals for ground balls and draw controls were close, with the Bearcats leading in ground balls, 24-21, and Puget Sound holding an 8-6 edge in draw controls. The Loggers held an edge in clears at 15 of 23, compared to 10 of 23 for the Bearcats, but WU forced several turnovers on clears in the closing minutes.

Up next for the Bearcats is a game in Dallas, Texas, against University of Dallas on Sunday, March 26. Game time is set for 2 p.m. (CDT)/12 p.m. (PDT).

Big Moment of the Game for Willamette

Anabel Ohsman scored her eighth goal of the season for the Bearcats
with 4:46 left in the first half to send the teams into the halftime break
deadlocked at 3-3. Ohsman is tied for the Willamette team lead in goals
for the season with Miranda Piros, who also scored in the first half on
Sunday and has eight goals on the season.