Kawamura Scores Winning Goal in 12-11 Overtime Victory over Puget Sound

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Catie Kawamura (Sr., ATT, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) scored her 100th career goal during Willamette University's Northwest Conference women's lacrosse game against the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, Feb. 26. Later, she scored the game-winning goal with 2:08 left in sudden-death overtime, as Willamette defeated the Loggers, 12-11. Kawamura's winning goal was her fifth goal of the game and the 102nd goal of her career. Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) assisted on the play.

Willamette, which rallied from an 8-2 deficit in the second quarter, improved to 3-1 on the season and to 1-1 in the NWC. It was the first overtime game for the Bearcats since Willamette began competing in women's lacrosse in 2019. Puget Sound fell to 0-2 overall, 0-2 in the NWC.

Claire Kisielnicki (Fy., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS) forced the game into overtime by scoring for Willamette with 2:16 remaining in regulation, tying the game at 11-11. Kawamura provided the assist on Kisielnicki's tying goal.

After neither team scored a go-ahead goal in regulation, the teams moved into a six-minute overtime period, with three minutes played in each of two halves. Both teams had one possession during the first three minutes. Puget Sound won the first draw control in overtime, but the Loggers eventually gave up possession on an offensive foul. Maddie Garcia (Sr., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy) of WU received a free position opportunity late in the first part of overtime, but her shot was saved by PS goalie Phoebe Crowther.

Kawamura won the draw control for Willamette to start the second half of overtime. With 2:20 remaining, Brooklynn Pearl (Fy., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) took a shot for the Bearcats that went wide right. Willamette had the play backed up and kept possession. Bachiochi set up the winning goal by passing to Kawamura just outside of the left post and about three yards upfield. Kawamura took three steps to her right and shot into the right middle portion of the net.

The five goals by Kawamura led all players. For Willamette, three players -- Garcia, Kiselnicki, and Tati Klenk (Sr., ATT, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) -- each scored two goals while Shea Richardson-Pepper (So., DEF/MID, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) added one goal. Bachiochi finished with four assists and Kawamura provided two assists. For Puget Sound, Abby Stanahan scored four goals and three assists, while Cat Schilli scored four goals. Emily LaRiviere produced two goals and one assis. Milan Lam earned one goal and two assists.

Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS)

At the start of the game, the teams exchanged the first four goals, beginning with a successful shot by Stranahan with 14:09 left in the first quarter. Richardson-Pepper tied the score with 13:34 on the clock, and Shilli put the Loggers back in front with a goal at 8:11. Kawamura put in a goal at 6:47 for a 2-2 tie on a free position shot.

Puget Sound scored the next six goals to grab an 8-2 advantage, starting with a goal by Lam just 12 seconds after Kawamura tied the game. The Loggers tacked on three goals late in the first quarter, as LaRiviere, Schilli, and Stranahan scored. Goals by Schilli and LaRiviere completed the 6-0 surge with 12:38 left in the half.

Willamette responded with a 4-1 run to pull within 9-6 with 2:19 to play in the half. The run started with goals by Kawamura and Garica, both on free position shots. Stranahan tallied a goal for Puget Sound with 4:49 left. Kawamura, assisted by Bachiochi, scored with 3:55 on the clock, and Kisielnicki earned an unassisted goal to complete the run. Stranahan recorded her fourth goal of the half with 25 seconds remaining to give the Loggers a 10-6 halftime edge.

The Bearcats gave up just one goal during the final 33:52 of playing time. Garcia scored her second free position goal of the game for the Bearcats with 12:48 left in the third quarter to cut the Loggers' lead to 10-7. Schilli added a goal for Puget Sound on an assist from Stranahan with 11:01 to go in the quarter. Willamette received goals from Kawamura at 7:41 and from Klenk at 1:22 to move the Bearcat within 11-9 entering the fourth quarter.

Klenk scored again with 14:25 remaining, as Willamette cut the margin to 11-10. Each team had several chances over the next 12 minutes, but four shots by Puget Sound were saved by WU goalkeeper Shelby Sawyer (Sr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) and Crowther saved three shots by the Bearcats. Willamette broke the scoring drought with Kiselnicki's tying goal with 2:16 to play.

Sawyer finished with 10 saves for the Bearcats, including six in the second half. Olivia Almy made one save in the first half for Puget Sound, while Crowther registered seven saves in the second half and overtime.

Willamette achieved a 29-23 lead in total shots, while PS gained a 21-20 edge in shots on goal. WU held a 16-12 margin in ground balls and a 15-13 advantage in draw controls. The Bearcats were 5 of 11 on free position shots and the Loggers were 2 of 5.

The Bearcats will play at Pacific University on Saturday, March 4. Game time in Forest Grove, Oregon, is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PST).