Balanced Scoring Leads Willamette Past Whitworth 17-12 in NWC Semifinals

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

NEWBERG, Ore. -- Four Willamette University players each scored three goals, and a stingy defense allowed Whitworth University just three goals in the second half, as the Bearcats pulled away from the Pirates 17-12 in the semifinal round of the 2024 Northwest Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament. The game was played at the Austin Sports Complex on Saturday, May 4.

Willamette will take regular season NWC champion George Fox University in the NWC Championship Game on Sunday, May 5. Game time is set for 1 p.m. PDT. In Saturday's first semifinal game, the Bruins defeated Whitman College, 17-5. On the season, Willamette and George Fox are both 14-3.

Scoring three goal apiece for the Bearcats on Saturday, were Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS), Claire Kisielnicki (So., ATT, Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS), Catie Mohr (So., D/M, Portland, OR/Wilson HS), and Cedric Shaw (Fy., MID, Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS). Bachiochi and Kisielnicki each added an assist. The teams were tied 8-8 with 8:10 remaining in the second quarter, but Willamette took an 11-9 lead at halftime and scored six of the first seven goals in the second half for a 17-10 advantage with 6:09 left in the game.

Kendyl Jennings (Sr., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) and Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) each scored two goals for the Bearcats, while Alyssa Molisee (Fy., MID/ATT, Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) scored once and also earned one assist. Bachiochi scored two of her three goals in the third quarter.

Sierra Witte led Whitworth by scoring three goals. The Pirates received two goals each from Kenzie Hemman, Campbell Vincent, and Abby Hahn. Hemman and Hahn also tallied an assist.

Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS), left

Pearl recorded the first goal of the game with 13:44 left in the first quarter. Witte countered with goals for the Pirates at 12:37 and 11:34 to give Whitworth a 2-1 edge. Willamette tied the score on an unassisted goal by Kisielnicki at the 7:17 mark. The teams continued to exchange goals in the first quarter, which ended in a 5-5 tie after Bachiochi scored with 17 seconds remaining.

Whitworth moved into a 6-5 lead on a goal from Vincent on a free-position shot just over a minute into the second quarter. A gol by Shaw at 12:43 tied the score and Jennings tacked on a goal about one minute later as the Bearcats took a 7-6 lead. The Pirates managed to tie the score two more times, including 8-8 on a shot by Vincent and assisted by Nikki Beers, but Willamette never trailed again.

Shaw scored at the 7:15 mark to put WU in front 9-8 with an assist from Kisienicki. Mohr provided a successful free-position shot for the Bearcats with 4:56 left in the second quarter for a 10-8 lead and Molisee added another goal on a free-position shot less than two minutes later. The high-scoring half ended with Willamette holding an 11-9 advantage.

When the third quarter got underway, Pearl scored early in a half for the second time in the game, as she hit the net with a shot at 13:53 for a 12-9 edge. Witte scored an unassisted goal for Whitworth with 12:10 on the clock, but the Bearcats answered with five consecutive goals. Three of the goals were recorded in the third quarter, as Mohr scored at 9:39 and Bachiochi scored goals at 8:49 and with 19 seconds to go. Willamette entered the final quarter with a 15-10 edge.

After Kisielnicki scored at 13:09 and Shaw shot past Whitworth goalie Sage Fosnock with 6:09 left, the Bearcats led 17-10. Whitworth tallied two goals in the final five minutes.

Each team finished with 30 total shots, but Willamette held a 26-23 margin in shots on goal as the Bearcats placed 86.7% of their shots on target. Willamette goalie Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) provided 11 saves, giving her 34 saves in Willamette's three wins over Whitworth this year. Fosnock registered nine saves for the Pirates.

Whitworth claimed a 20-13 margin in draw controls, but Willamette held a 12-9 lead in ground balls and a 15-14 edge in opponent turnovers. Each team caused six turnovers, including two caused by Jay Shiflett (Fy., DEF, Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill HS) of Willamette. Austin topped the Bearcats with three ground balls. Shaw won six draw controls and Pearl achieved five controls. For Whitworth, Hemman registered nine draw controls, while Witte and Hemman were each credited with two ground balls.