McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield matched Whitworth's energy in the first half, but the Pirates scored back-to-back goals in the second half to escape with a 2-0 win Saturday afternoon at the Linfield Soccer and Lacrosse Complex.
Beckett Arthur broke the silence in the 65
th minute with a strike to the bottom right corner of the net for his team-leading sixth goal of the season. The Pirates scored again less than four minutes later when Chris Barry notched his second goal of the year off an assisting free kick just outside the box by Jaime Rodriguez.
Whitworth fired off 22 shots and six shots on goal. The Pirates rattled off 13 shots in the first half, but the Wildcats were able to keep them off the scoreboard. Linfield registered eight shots and five shots on goal. The Pirates held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Linfield's leading scorer in 2022,
Sid Kosaris got off three shots and two shots on goal in 74 minutes played.
Sam Haynes and
Ronan Krutzikowsky had two shots and a shot on goal apiece.
Angel Hernandez and
Nicholas Reggiani played the entire match on the backline.
Henry Boudreaux made four huge saves in goal to keep the 'Cats in the match.
A combined 23 fouls and six yellow cards were issued in a physical match that featured a pair of teams that entered Saturday in a three-way tie with Whitman for third place in the Northwest Conference standings.
With Whitman's 3-1 win over No. 7 and first-place Willamette, the Blues and Pirates are tied for third place with 4-3-1 NWC marks. Linfield (4-8-1, 3-4-1 NWC) dropped to fifth place with the loss.
NEXT
Linfield looks ahead to a key matchup with Whitman on Sunday. The match is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. as the 'Cats look to keep pace in the NWC standings.
