Bearcats Earn NWC Title and NCAA Tournament Berth with 5-0 Win at Linfield

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's soccer team built a 4-0 lead against Linfield University in the first half on Saturday, Nov. 5, as the Bearcats took control on their way to a 5-0 victory over the Wildcats at the Linfield Soccer Complex. Willamette clinched the Northwest Conference Championship with the win, while locking up the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Willamette will find out on Monday, Nov. 7 who their opponent will be in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA also will release dates, locations, and times for all first round match-ups.

The Bearcats finished the regular season with a 13-2-3 overall record and an 11-2-1 record (34 points) in the NWC. Willamette's 13 wins are tied with the 1990 and 1991 Bearcats for the third-most victories in school history, trailing only the 15 wins achieved in 1982 and 1988. Willamette won this year's NWC title by a single point, as Pacific Lutheran University took second place at 11-3-0 (33 points). The Lutes, 16-3-0 overall, edged the University of Puget Sound on Saturday, 1-0, by scoring a goal at 78:35. Linfield concluded its season at 5-13-1 overall, 4-9-1 in the NWC.

WU went 11 consecutive games without a loss (9-0-2) to start the season, extending an unbeaten streak to a school record 13 games (starting with two wins at the end of 2021).

Against Linfield, Ardem Baronian (Sr., M/F, Los Altos, CA/St. Francis HS) provided the Bearcats with a goal and two assists. Sean Kim (Jr., F, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) scored the first goal of the game. Other goal scorers were  Josh Schneider (Sr., F, Washougal, WA/Camas HS), Krisna LaFrance (So., F, Seattle, WA./Ballard HS), and Julian Rivas Delgado (Fy., F, Salem, OR/South Salem HS).

In addition to the two assists by Baronian, the Bearcats received one assist each from Simon Kidder (Jr., M, Bend, OR/Summit HS), Max Brown (Sr., F, Morgan Hill, CA/Ann Sobrato HS), and Pierce Gallaway (Sr., M, Carmel, CA/Carmel HS).

Baronian assisted on the first two goals and scored the third goal for Willamette, helping the Bearcats build a 3-0 lead in the first 34:23. Kim's goal from Baronian opened the scoring 7:43 into the match. Baronian found Kim open about 10 yards out and provided a through-pass from just outside the 18-yard box. Kim shot from seven yards and slotted the ball past Linfield goalie Henry Boudreaux. Schneider recorded the second goal at 28:51 on a shot from three yards. Baronian set up the goal with a short pass from near the end line.

The goal scored by Baronian was at 34:23 on a header from six yards out. Kidder provided the assist with a line-drive cross from the left side.

Willamette completed its strong first half with a goal at 36:19 by LaFrance, who scored from near the penalty spot by redirecting a cross from Brown. Rivas Delgado scored the fifth goal at 79:35 on an 8-yard shot on an assist from Gallaway.

Shortly before the goal by Rivas Delgado, the Bearcats almost scored after Samuel Twenhafel (Jr., D, Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage HS) made a run across the attacking end line with the ball. As he neared the goal, he sent a short pass to Gallaway, whose redirection was saved off the line by a Linfield defender.

The Bearcats outshot the Wildcats 12-10 and held a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. Willamette also achieved a 5-3 margin on corner kicks. WU goalkeeper Pierluca Carnovale (Jr., GK, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) earned two saves to pick up his sixth solo shutout of the season to go along with one combined shutout. In his career, Carnovale has recorded 10 solo shutouts and seven combined shutouts. Boudreaux was credited with two saves for Linfield.