By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- The Willamette University Bearcats pulled away from Pacific University with 16 consecutive goals for a 20-3 Northwest Conference win in women's lacrosse on Monday, April 15. Willamette took 40 shots during the game and limited Pacific to eight shots. Willamette held the Boxers to just one shot in each of the last three quarters. Shea Richardson-Pepper (Jr., DEF/MID, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) scored six goals for the Bearcats, while Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) added five goals and five assists.
Richardson-Pepper took 11 shots and placed 10 of the shots on goal, while Bachiochi was credited with 10 shots and nine shots on target. Other key contributors for the Bearcats were Cedric Shaw (Fy., MID, Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS) with three goals, one assist, and 10 draw controls, Alyssa Molisee (Fy., MID/ATT, Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) with three goals and three ground balls, and Jay Shiflett (Fy., DEF, Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill HS) with seven caused turnovers and four ground balls.
It was Willamette's seventh consecutive win since losing to George Fox University on March 16. The Bearcats upped their record to 10-2 on the season and to 7-1 in the NWC. Pacific dropped to 2-10 overall, 0-8 in the NWC. Willamette will battle George Fox for the second time this season on Friday, April 19 in Newberg, Oregon. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PDT.
Bachiochi has scored 46 goals and 40 assists this year for a school record 86 points. She provided the Bearcats with the previous two school records by earning 82 points (42 G, 40 A) in 2022-23 and 81 points (42 G, 39 A) in 2021-22.
The score was close at the end of the first quarter with Willamette holding a 3-2 advantage. Bachiochi produced the game's first goal just over one minute into the action at 13:58. Caitlin Brown of Pacific scored with an assist from Devyn Davis to tie the score at 12:56. Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) gave WU a 2-1 edge on a goal at 10:24 and Hyland Cullen-Musengo tied the game for the Boxers on a free-position shot at the 7:04 mark. The final goal of the quarter was achieved by Bachiochi with 5:43 on the clock.
Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Richardson-Pepper scored her first goal of the game to put WU in front by two goals, 4-2. Davis also earned her second goal of the evening for Pacific with 11:19 remaining in the half to reduce the lead to 4-3. It was the Boxers' last goal of the game.
Willamette's strong defensive play over the remainder of the contest, an impressive 42:18 without allowing a goal, was complemented by the Bearcats' offensive success. WU increased its lead to 8-3 at halftime as four Bearcats each tallied one goal between the 8:07 mark and 4:52 to play in the second quarter. The goal scorers were Molisee, Kendyl Jennings (Sr., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS), Pearl, and Bachiochi.
Richardson-Pepper scored the first two goals of the second half to expand Willamette's margin to 10-3. After the second goal at 8:18, Shaw won the draw control and Molisee scored 17 seconds later. Molisee also scored the next goal for a 12-3 lead. Before the third quarter ended, Richardson-Pepper tacked on a player-advantage goal with 1:11 left and Bachiochi scored with two seconds on the clock. Willamette added six goals in the fourth quarter.
The Bearcats earned a 16-8 margin in draw controls and a 21-6 advantage in ground balls. The Boxers committed 27 turnovers, including 10 directly caused by the Bearcats. Pacific goalkeeper Sophia Sheppard registered 12 saves. WU goalie Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) made two saves as she improved to 10-2 in the nets.
