By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- A balanced offense with five players scoring three or more goals led Willamette University to a 19-6 win over nearby Northwest Conference rival Linfield University on Senior Day at Sparks Field on Sunday, April 21. The Bearcats' only senior, midfielder Kendyl Jennings (Sr., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) was honored prior to the game and then scored three goals during the contest, completing her hat-trick on the game's final goal. Willamette improved to 11-3 for the season, including 8-2 in the NWC. The Bearcats are 6-2 at home. Linfield fell to 5-8 overall, 4-7 in the conference.
Claire Kisielnicki (So., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS) paced the Bearcats with a team-high five goals. She also earned two assists for seven points. Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) tallied four goals and five assists for a game-high nine points. Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) supplied four goals and one assist. Alyssa Molisee (Fy., MID/ATT, Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) matched Jennings with three goals.
Bachiochi, who leads Willamette with 54 goals and 48 assists this season, ended the with 138 career goals, tying the record previously set by Maddie Garcia from 2020 through 2023. Bachiochi already held Willamette's career records for assists (now 127) and points (now 265).
Star Pfleiger topped the Wildcats with two goals. Gabby Crist added one goal and two assists for Linfield.
Willamette zoomed out to a 4-0 advantage in the first five minutes. Kisielnicki scored the first goal 43 seconds into the game. The early scoring surge also included one goal by Pearl in between two goals by Jennings. Linfield cut the margin to 4-1 on a player-advantage goal by Madison De La Trinidad with 4:01 left in the opening quarter.
The Bearcats pushed the margin to 9-1 with the first five goals of the second quarter, starting with a goal by Pearl at the 14:37 mark. Bachiochi scored at 10:02 and Molisee soon added a goal at 9:11. Bachiochi registered her second goal of the game with 3:31 on the clock and Kisielnicki hit the net at 2:37. Linfield earned its second player-advantage goal with six seconds remaining in the half on a shot by Pleiger. Willamette owned a 9-2 lead at halftime.
Bachiochi's third goal, scored on a free-position shot with 10:13 left in the third quarter, gave WU a 12-3 edge. Linfield tallied three of the next four goals, including a score by Maya Wright with one second to play in the quarter. Willamette entered the fourth quarter with a 13-6 lead. The Bearcats outscored Linfield 6-0 in the final 15 minutes.
Willamette took 38 shots, including 29 shots on goal. The Bearcats limited the Wildcats to 16 total shots and 12 shots on goal. Goalie Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) of WU earned six saves, while Tenley Hodge of LU was credited with 10 saves.
The Bearcats achieved a 25-18 advantage in ground balls and built a 17-10 margin in draw controls. Pearl led Willamette with five ground balls and tied for the team lead with five draw controls. Cedric Shaw (Fy., MID, Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS) also gathered in five draw controls. Shea Richardson-Pepper finished with four draw controls and four ground balls.
Syd Shoemaker (Fy., D, Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS) earned four of Willamette's 14 caused turnovers, while Jay Shiflett (Fy., DEF, Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill HS) forced three turnovers. Crist led Linfield with five ground balls, while Pfleiger claimed five draw controls and Kelsey Reinemer caused three turnovers.
The next game for Willamette is against Whitman College on Saturday, April 27 in Walla Walla, Washington. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. PDT.
