MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Playing their first match at the newly renovated Linfield Soccer & Lacrosse Complex, the Linfield Wildcats lost the George Fox Bruins, 17-7, on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bruins start the season 1-0, Linfield is 0-1. The Wildcats are playing a conference-only schedule in 2021.
 
Bethany Shade, who missed the three matches last season before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the season, scored the first lacrosse goal on the new turf, 11 seconds in. She won the opening draw control and went down and scored. Shade had three goals on four shots, all of which were on goal.
 
The Bruins scored the next two goals to take the lead, the Wildcats retook the lead at 3-2 on goals by Shade and Maia Rezoski, who had two goals and two assists on Saturday.
 
Behind three goals from Andrea Garcia-Miller, George Fox scored ten straight goals to take a 12-3 lead into halftime. Garcia-Miller had match-high five goals, she also had an assist. Kyra Barnes had four goals and two assists.
 
Jenna Hessel and Josie Duey scored their first goals of the season to bring the 'Cats within 13-5, but the Bruins pulled away to win 17-7. George Fox had the 39-16 edge in shots, 29 of the shots were on goal for George Fox, while 13 were on goal for Linfield.
 
Epi Roldan-Rayo made 12 saves, which is the career-high for the senior goalkeeper. Ella Rand made six saves in the cage for George Fox.
 
Shade and Duey combined for 14 of the 16 draw controls claimed by the Wildcats. Roldan-Rayo, Shade and Rezoski had five groundballs each. Gemmajean Patterson, Shade and Rezoski had three caused turnovers each.
 
The Bruins leader in groundballs was Barnes with five. Payton Bergren caused five turnovers, she and Bailey Faust had four draw controls each.
 
George Fox was 12 for 19 in clear attempts, Linfield was 11 for 20. As a team, the Bruins had 37 groundballs, Linfield had 25.
 
Freshmen Kaitlyn Crouser, Emma Robbins and Emma Vande Brake made their first career starts on Saturday.
 
UP NEXT
The Bruins are back in McMinnville on Sunday for another match. Opening draw control is scheduled for 11 a.m. Per Northwest Conference protocols, fans are not allowed at any Linfield athletics events.