By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- George Fox University surged out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter and went on to defeat Willamette University, 20-8, in a Northwest Conference women's lacrosse game on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Sparks Field. Brooklynn Pearl (Fy., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) scored three goals for Willamette, while Tati Klenk (Sr., ATT, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) scored two goals. Willamette fell to 2-1 on the season, 0-1 in the NWC. George Fox improved to 2-0 overall, 2-0 in the NWC.

Kyra Barnes and Ava Bluhm each led the Bruins with six goals. Olivia Geyling registered three goals and two assists for George Fox. Marena Tharpe and three goals and one assist, while Lana Davis finished with one goal and three assists.

Willamette scored first on a goal by Claire Kisielnicki (Fy., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS) just 49 seconds into the first 15-minute quarter. Tharpe tied the score for GFU with a goal at the 11:55 mark, and the Bruins moved in front, 2-1, when Barnes earned her first goal with 9:28 left in the quarter. The Bruins added four more goals between 8:50 and 7:44 to go in the quarter, as George Fox used a string of draw controls to take charge. The four goals were by Barnes, Tharpe, Geyling, and Bluhm, and increased the lead to 6-1.

Tharpe added a player-advantage goal to give GFU a 7-1 lead with 4:05 on the clock while Willamette was shorthanded due to a yellow card. Bluhm tacked on an even-strength goal at 1:43, and Catie Kawamura (Sr., ATT, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) scored for Willamette with 18 seconds left.

Bluhm put in a goal for the Bruins with 13:57 remaining in the second quarter for a 9-2 advantage. Pearl answered for Willamette with a goal just over a minute later at the 12:49 mark. GFU scored the next four goals, two by Barnes, to build a 13-3 lead. Klenk scored on a free-position shot for WU with 2:18 to play in the half. Barnes recorded her fifth goal of the half with 1:29 left, giving the Bruins a 14-4 margin at halftime.

GFU outscored Willamette 5-3 in the third quarter, while the Bearcats gained a 2-1 scoring edge in the fourth quarter. The Bruins finished with a 33-16 advantage in total shots and a 27-13 edge in shots on goal.

In addition to the three goals by Pearl and the two goals from Klenk, the Bearcats received one goal each by Kisielnicki, Kawamura, and Kendyl Jennings (Jr., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS). Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) registered one assist.

Goalkeeper Emma Webb of GFU was credited with five saves while moving to 2-0 on the season. Willamette goalie Shelby Sawyer (Sr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) made seven saves and fell to 1-1 overall.

The Bruins achieved a 17-14 lead in draw controls, including nine by Tharpe and six by Barnes. Pearl led the Bearcats with six draw controls, while Kawamura recorded seven. GFU gained a 19-9 margin in ground balls. Both teams excelled in free-position opportunities, as GFU finished 3 of 6 and Willamette was 4 of 6.

Willamette will remain at home to take on the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, Feb. 26. Game time for the NWC match-up is set for 1 p.m. (PST).