By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Maddie Garcia (So., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Diegito Academy) scored six goals and Anabel Ohsman (Sr., ATT/MID, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS) provided three goals for Willamette University, but Linfield University played a strong second half to defeat the Bearcats, 15-13, in a Northwest Conference women's lacrosse game on Saturday, April 3. Linfield ended the game at 5-2 overall, 5-2 in the NWC. Willamette slipped to 3-3 overall, 2-3 in the NWC.

The Bearcats led 9-6 at halftime on the strength of three goals each from Garcia and Ohsman. Linfield tallied the first two goals on scores by Jenna Hessel and Emma Robbins in the opening minute of play, but scores by Lexie Andrade (Sr., ATT, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) at 25:39, Garcia at 24:01, and Catie Kawamura (So., MID, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) at 22:09, gave the Bearcats a 3-2 advantage. Analise Wilson (Fy., MID, Temecula, CA/Chaparral HS) and Ohsman added two goals for a 5-2 margin at the 16:53 mark.

Bethany Shade scored at 14:13 to end Willamette's 5-0 run, as the Wildcats pulled within 5-3. The teams exchanged the next four goals, leaving the Bearcats with an 8-5 lead after Garcia sent the ball into the cage with 2:59 on the clock. Garcia scored again with 34 seconds to go in the half, but Shade scored for Linfield just seconds later to cut the margin to 9-6.

Hessel put in the first goal of the second half for Linfield 21 seconds after the opening draw. Garcia registered the next goal for the Bearcats at 23:44 for a 10-7 lead.

Linfield surged into the lead by scoring seven unanswered goals for a 14-10 advantage with 6:55 remaining. The run included two goals each by Shade, Josie Duey, and Maia Rezoski. Robbins contributed the final goal in the run.

The Bearcats answered with a goal by Garcia with 5:54 left, but Hessel scored for the Wildcats at the 4:25 mark to take a 15-11 lead. Kawamura produced a goal for WU just seconds later. Garcia cut the margin to 15-13 on a score with 2:24 remaining. Neither team scored during the remainder of the game.

Garcia's six goals and Oshman's three goals and one assist paced the Bearcats. Kawamura scored two goals, while Laura Kelly (Jr., ATT/MID, Mountain View, CA/Mountain View HS) supplied four assists. Wilson recorded seven ground balls for Willamette. Wilson and Kawamura each provided six draw controls. Nina Hernandez (Sr., DEF/MID, Valencia, CA/Williams S. Hart HS) and Wilson both caused three turnovers. Shelby Sawyer (So., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) registered eight saves in 39:36, while Katie Hill (So., GK, Belmont, CA/Carmont HS) added three saves in 20:24.

Shade led Linfield with five goals and six assists for 11 total points. Hessel tallied four goals, while Rezoski, Duye and Robbins each scored twice. Shade also topped the Wildcats with nine ground balls, 12 draw controls, and three forced turnovers. Goalkeeper Epi Roldan-Rayo was credited with five ground balls to go along with nine saves.

The Bearcats will battle Linfield again on Sunday, April 4. Game time in McMinnville, Oregon, is set for 1 p.m. (PDT).