MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Playing their first home game in three weeks, the Linfield Wildcats fell to the Puget Sound Loggers, 4-1 on a rainy Saturday afternoon on a muddy field. Malachi Stalberg scored the lone goal for the Wildcats.
 
The Loggers are now 5-2-1 in Northwest Conference play, while the Wildcats are 2-5-1, they have come up with just one point in the last five games.
 
The Loggers have one of the top scoring offenses in the NWC and it showed on Saturday as they scored three goals in a span of 13 minutes to take control of the game.
 
Two of the goals were scored by Luke Merdock and both were assisted by Spence Cale, who added a goal of his own in the 64^th minute.
 
The first goal of the game was scored by the Loggers' Ryan Smith on a ball that was mishandled by the Wildcats' Julian Inches and went into the goal. This was the first career start for Inches.
 
The Wildcats avoided the shutout with a goal in the 58^th minute, it was Malachi Stalberg scoring his second of the season.
 
Linfield outshot Puget Sound, 15-10, but Linfield only had four shots on goal, three of those were saved by Puget Sound.
 
In his first start, Inches played the full game and made three saves.
 
The Wildcats have lost four straight games against the three of the top four teams in the conference and lost five of their last seven.
 
UP NEXT
Things do not get easy for Linfield as Pacific Lutheran, who is atop the NWC standings comes to town on Sunday at 12 p.m. The first 25 students in attendance will get free shirts courtesy of McMinnville area Dutch Bros.