Pearl Scores Four Goals, but Bearcats Fall to Bruins in NWC Championship Game

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

NEWBERG, Ore. -- Brooklynn Pearl (So., MID, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) of Willamette University scored four goals, including three in the second half, but George Fox University scored seven of the game's final nine goals to defeat the Bearcats, 17-7, in the 2024 Northwest Conference Tournament Championship game at Austin Sports Complex on Sunday, May 5. The Bruins were led by Ava Bluhm, who registered five goals and two assists.

George Fox will receive the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse National Tournament. GFU is 15-4 overall after winning the NWC regular season title at 12-0. Willamette concluded its season with a 14-4 record and a 10-2 mark in the NWC during the regular season. The Bearcats set a school record for victories in a season, surpassing last year's 13-5 record by one win.

Two Bearcats each supplied Willamette with one goal. They were graduating senior Kendyl Jennings (MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) in the second quarter and Cedric Shaw (Fy., MID, Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS) in the third quarter. Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) assisted on the goal by Jennings, as she earned WU's only assist during the game. One of Willamette's scores was an own goal by a GFU player. 

Bluhm was followed on the George Fox offensive chart by Lana Davis with three goals and two assists and by Morgan Maxfield, who scored two goals and two assists. Also recording two goals were Ana Flores, Carleigh DeLapp, and Olivia Geyling. Willamette goalie Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) and GFU goalkeeper Emma Webb each accumulated eight saves.

George Fox took a 3-1 lead on Bluhm's first three goals. She tallied the game's first two scores at the 12:43 and 11:31 marks in the first quarter. Pearl earned a goal for the Bearcats at 10:28 to cut the margin in half, but Bluhm scored again much later in the quarter for a two-goal margin with 3:32 on the clock.

Goals by Maxfield and DeLapp in the first 1:30 of the second quarter expanded GFU's advantage to 5-1. Bluhm and Davis each added a score, as the Bruins' lead expanded to 7-1 with 3:33 left in the half. Jenings hit the net with a goal less than a minute later at 2:53, but the Bruins countered with two goals before halftime for a 9-2 lead. Clair Abraham was credited with the last goal of the half with 12 seconds to play.

The Bearcats put together a strong third quarter, as they outscored the Bruins, 3-1. Pearl and DeLapp exchanged goals before Shaw scored on a player-advantage for the Bearcats at 6:08. Pearl earned another player-advantage goal with 25 seconds left in the quarter to pull Willamette within 10-5.

Flores shot into the net for GFU less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, but WU was soon within 11-6 after the own goal was scored by the Bruins at the 12:12 mark. Davis scored for the Bruins at 10:22, and Pearl tallied a goal for Willamette on a free position shot with 8:49 on the clock, pulling the Bearcats as close as 12-7. GFU earned the final five goals to secure the win.

The Bruins held a 33-19 edge in total shots and earned a 17-7 margin in ground balls. George Fox owned a slim 15-13 lead in draw controls, although WU won four of five in the third quarter.

Willamette caused 11 turnovers, including a team-high four forced mistakes by recent addition Ava Kitchin (Sr., P, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS). Austin caused two turnovers and earned a team-high three ground balls. Pearl topped WU with seven draw controls and Shaw registered five draw controls. Bluhm was credited with six ground balls, five draw controls, and four caused turnovers for GFU. DeLapp also attained five draws for the Bruins.

Bachiochi concluded the season as the Bearcats' top scorer with 65 goals and 52 assists for 117 points. Her 52 assists broke her own school record of 40, and her point total broke her own school record of 82, both set in 2023. Austin ended the year with 112 saves and the lowest goals against average for a season in school history at 8.89. The old record of 9.55 was set by Shelby Sawyer ('23) in 2021.