By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University surged out to a 9-1 lead and then held off a rally by the University of Puget Sound to defeat the Loggers, 13-11, at Sparks Field on Sunday, May 2. It was the final game on WU's schedule. The Bearcats improved to 8-3 on the season, 7-3 in the Northwest Conference, as Willamette tied for second place in the NWC. Puget Sound ended the year at 4-7 overall, 4-5 in the NWC.
Maddie Garcia (So., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy) scored three goals as the Bearcats built their big lead. Tati Klenk (So., ATT/MIID, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) recorded one goal at the end of the half for Willamette and contributed two goals in the second half to help the Bearcats stay in front. Willamette held at least a three-goal advantage throughout the second half until the Loggers scored the game's final goal with 26 seconds left.
Shelby Sawyer (So., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) recorded five saves for WU in the first half, while Katie Hill (So., GK, Belmont, CA/Carmont HS) made six saves in the second half. Sawyer was credited with the win.
Prior to the game, Willamette honored seniors Lexie Andrade (Sr., ATT, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS), Nina Hernandez (Sr., DEF, Valencia, CA/Williams S. Hart HS), Alayna Newland (Sr., ATT, Everett, WA/Archbishop Murphy HS), and Anabel Ohsman (Sr., ATT, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS), along with senior team manager Nikki Seina.
Garcia leads the Bearcats this season with 41 goals. She opened the scoring on Sunday with a goal at 27:31. Andrade increased the lead to 2-0 at 23:44. Catie Kawamura (So., MID, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) tacked on a player-advantage goal at 21:28. The lead eventually reached 7-0 following a goal by Analise Wilson (Fy., MID, Temecula, CA/Chaparral HS), assisted by Ohsman, at 13:48.
After Hayden Hotchkiss tallied Puget Sound's first goal at 12:30, the Bearcats scored the next two goals -- by Laura Kelly (Jr., ATT/MID, Mountain View, CA/Mountain View HS) and Garcia -- for a 9-1 margin at the 7:57 mark. The Loggers countered with the next three goals by Emily LaRiviere, Bee Bridge, and Abby Stranahan to reduce the deficit to 9-4. Klenk shot into the net for WU with nine seconds remaining in the half to give the Bearcats a 10-4 lead at the break.
The first goal of the second half went to LaRiviere at 28:15. Klenk countered with a goal at 27:08 for an 11-5 advantage. The Loggers recorded the next three goals and trailed 11-8 after Stranahan scored at 18:41.
Ohsman ended the scoring streak by providing the Bearcats with a goal at 14:17. It was the 67th goal of her career.
LaRiveire reduced the lead to 12-9 on a goal with 10:32 to play. Klenk returned Willamette to a four-goal margin at 13-9 on a goal with 6:25 left. Bridge earned a player-advantage goal for the Loggers at 4:28, but she committed a foul on the ensuing draw and the Bearcats kept possession for nearly a minute while taking one shot.
Bridge shot wide of the goal on a free position shot at 3:03 and Hill saved a shot by LaRiviere at 2:50. A ground ball by Kiana Gottschalk (So., D, Bend, OR/Bend HS) of WU at 2:31 allowed the Bearcats to go on the attack. Puget Sound goalie Olivia Almy stopped a free position shot by Garcia with 1:17 left, but the Loggers were almost out of time.
The three-goal efforts by Garcia and Klenk led the Bearcats, Andrade and Kelly each provided two goals, with Kelly also supplying an assist. Emma Canchola (Jr., DEF, Oregon City OR/Oregon City HS) registered a game-high eight ground balls.
La Riviere scored three goals and one assist for the Loggers. Stranahan and Bridge each contributed three goals. Hotchkiss topped all players with seven draw controls. Almy was credited with nine saves.
Willamette outshot Puget Sound, 26-25, and held a 28-15 margin in ground balls. The Loggers claimed an 18-8 edge in draw controls, but committed 25 turnovers, eight more than the Bearcats. WU was successful on 19 of 22 clear attempts (86.4%), while Puget Sound was 13 of 20 (65.0%).
