Northwest Defeats Bearcats, 3-2

By Maya McFaddin, Student Assistant

SALEM, ORE. -- After a hard fought battle, the Willamette University Bearcats fell to the Northwest University Eagles, 3-2, in a women's soccer game on Saturday, Sept. 3. Northwest evened its record at 2-2, while Willamette dropped to 0-2.

The game featured an exciting start, with four Bearcat shots on goal in the first 15 minutes. Willamette's pressure paid off at the 18:28 minute mark, when Irene Vazquez (F, Jr., Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) scored on a 20-yard shot off an assist from Ariel Wilson (MF, Jr., Fort Collins, CO/Poudre HS).

Northwest kept possession following the goal. After the Eagles earned a few shots on goal of their own, Northwest evened the score at 39:04. Stephanie Cummins scored the tying goal on a free kick.

Fourteen minutes into the second half Acacia Johnson of NU went one-on-one with Willamette goalie Nicole Price (So., Auburn, WA/Thomas Jefferson HS) and scored a breakaway goal to put the Eagles ahead 2-1. Just ten minutes later, the Bearcats were pressuring the Eagles and Maddy Grainger (MF, Jr., Salt Lake City, UT/West HS) scored her first goal of the season, tying the game, 2-2.

The Eagles answered quickly. Less than two minutes after Grainger's goal, Johnson scored her second goal of the contest to seal the game for the Eagles.

Willamette outshot Northwest, 11-10, including an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal. Northwests Jordan Holmes finished the game with six saves. Price achieved four saves for Bearcats.

Up next for Willamette is a game at the University of Redlands on Friday, Sept. 9. Kickoff in Redlands, Calif., is set for 7 p.m.