Willamette Rallies Past George Fox, 3-1, in Second Half

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

NEWBERG, ORE. -- Trevor Jensen (Sr., MF, Chula Vista, CA/Bonita Vista HS) notched a goal and an assist as Willamette University roared back from a 1-0 second-half deficit with three unanswered goals, earning a 3-1 win over George Fox University in a Northwest Conference men's soccer game on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Will O'Neil (Sr., F, Vashon, WA/Vashon Island HS) tallied the game winner, andYazan Hishmeh (So., F, Ventura, CA/Saint Bonaventure HS) also scored for the Bearcats, who advanced their record to 6-3-2 overall, 2-2-2 in the Northwest Conference.

Luke Hammer earned the only goal for the Bruins, who dropped to 1-11, 0-6 in the NWC.

Though the score was 0-0 at halftime, Willamette had the better first-half chances.

Just 7:56 into the game, Adan Vazquez (Sr., F, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) fired off a shot that beat Bruins' goalkeeper Luke Ridder, but Vazquez was denied his first goal of the season by the width of the left post.

The rebound came out to the Bearcats' Sebastian Mortimer (So., D, Moscow, ID/Moscow HS), who blasted a shot that caromed off Ridder's crossbar.

Willamette finished the first period with a 12-8 advantage in shots, forcing Ridder into three first half saves. George Fox managed just one shot on target in the first period, a 28th minute attempt that was saved by Braydon Calder (So., GK, Philomath, OR/Philomath HS).

But it was George Fox that broke the scoreless tie just 3:01 into the second half, when Calder was unable to corral a shot from GFU's Angelo Florez. Hammer pounced on the loose ball and tapped it into the empty net.

Willamette tied the score a little less than eight minutes later. A handball in the box led to a Bearcat penalty kick, and Jensen, who also scored a penalty kick in Willamette's 1-1 draw at Pacific on Saturday, Oct. 5, blasted past a diving Ridder into the lower left corner of the net.

O'Neil gave Willamette a 2-1 lead at 61:31 off a terrific free kick by Tyler Yates (So., MF,Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS). Awarded a free kick just outside the upper left corner of the penalty box, Yates lofted the ball toward the back post for O'Neil, who headed back across the face of goal and inside the far post.

The Bearcats continued to press, with Jensen forcing Ridder into a sharp double save in the 75th minute, and it was Jensen who fed Hishmeh for the insurance goal at 86:59, sending a cross from left to right for the sophomore forward to drill into the back of the net.

WU doubled the Bruins in shots (28-14) and tripled them in shots on goal (9-3), though both teams earned two corner kicks.Six players received yellow cards in the match, including Yates and Sam Zanetta (So., MF, Pasadena, CA/La Salle HS) for Willamette. The Bearcats and Bruins combined for 20 fouls in the game.

After achieving a 1-2-1 record on their four game road trip, Willamette returns to Sparks Field for the first time since Sept. 22 to face archrival Linfield College on Saturday, Oct. 12. The game, which is part of Willamette University's Family Weekend festivities, is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. (PDT).