Bearcats Outshoot Loggers 26-13, but Puget Sound Defeats Willamette, 3-1

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Willamette University men's soccer team outshot the University of Puget Sound 26-13 on Saturday, Oct. 21 at East Field, but the Loggers outscored the Bearcats 3-1 in a Northwest Conference game. Puget Sound advanced its record to 6-3-4 on the year and to 4-2-4 (16 points) in the NWC. Willamette moved to 6-8-1 overall, 6-4-1 (19 points) in the NWC. The Bearcats are tied for third placed with Whitman College, 5-3-4 (19 points), but Willamette has one game in hand on the Blues.

Puget Sound took a 1-0 lead 6:06 into the game on a goal by Rhys Foote. Graham Hall assisted on the play. Foote scored his second goal of the game and his fourth of the season at 22:14.

Early in the second half, the Loggers expanded their lead to 3-0. Marko Babiak tallied the third goal unassisted at 49:04. Babiak leads the Loggers with seven goals this fall.

Willamette gained a 13-6 shooting advantage in the second half. The offensive pressure paid off at 87:09 when Krisna LaFrance (Jr., F, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) scored an unassisted goal on a shot from near the top right corner of the 18-yard box into the lowere left portion of the net. Jett Starr (Sr., F, Portland, OR/Cleveland HS) of Willamette had a shot blocked just 15 seconds later, but the Bearcats were unable to catch the Loggers in the final minutes.

The Loggers' goalkeeper, Ryan Saunders, provided Puget Sound with seven saves, including five in the first half. His saves during the opening 45 minutes allowed the Loggers to maintain a 2-0 lead at halftime. WU goalie Pierluca Carnovale (Sr., GK, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) made four saves for the Bearcats.

Willamette will take on George Fox University on Sunday, Oct. 22 in Newberg, Oregon. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. PDT.