Bearcats Suffer 1-0 Setback in Double-Overtime Thriller on Sunday

By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant

SALEM, Ore – The Willamette University women's soccer team dropped a heartbreaker on Sunday afternoon as Pacific University broke a scoreless tie in the 108th minute. It was the second game in as many days for both teams as the Bearcats move to 1-1-0 in the Northwest Conference and slip to 2-4-0 overall.

Pacific improves to 3-2-0 overall and stands at 1-1-0 in the NWC. Willamette was coming off a 3-1 win at Linfield on Saturday while Pacific dropped a 1-0 decision to George Fox University in its conference opener.

Both teams moved the ball well in the first overtime period, but neither was able to net the game-winner. The Bearcats had the stronger run of play, creating a couple of quality shots, but were unable to get past goaltender Catherine Corlett.

Willamette had a great chance on a corner with just under eight minutes remaining in the second overtime following a pair of threatening crosses in front of the net. Corlett came up big once again with a huge save to keep the match level.

Willamette goaltender Rachel Compton (So., GK, Lake Stevens, WA/Lake Stevens HS) made a strong play on the other end on a dangerous ball in the penalty area at the three-minute mark.

The Boxers came right back and had a beautiful finish off the head of Nadya Ortiz with 2:39 to play in the game. Catalina Alvarado collected the ball a served a cross into the middle, eight yards out and Ortiz redirected the header into the net for the win.

The Bearcats had a strong start to the match as Emmerson Cooper (Fy., M, Boise, Idaho/Boise HS) forced an early save from Corlett, putting a shot toward the bottom right corner just 1:47 into the contest. Sophie Cleland (So., M, Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) ended the half with another shot on target with 44 seconds on the clock.

Sam Borngasser (Fy., GK, Grants Pass, OR/Grants Pass HS) kept a clean sheet in the first half with Compton taking over in the net after the break. Compton kept the Boxers off the board with a pair of outstanding saves, laying out to turn away a shot just inside the post by Ivette Garcia-Gomez in the 77th minute.

Compton was forced to come way off her line in the 83rd minute and knocked away a point-blank shot off the foot of Mikayla Farrow.

Between those saves, the Bearcats had one of their best chances of the day, countering to build an open opportunity for Sydney Wilson (Sr., M, Olympia, WA/Capital HS) in the center of the field but her shot went high of the crossbar.

Corlett finished with eight saves while Corbett tallied three on the afternoon. Each team produced nine shots in regulation with Pacific holding a slim edge in corners, 4-3. The hosts outshot the visitors 4-1 in the extra frames with each team adding a corner.

The Bearcats head north to Washington next weekend to face Whitman College on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Whitworth University on Sunday, Sept. 26. Both matches are scheduled for 12 p.m. (PDT).