Linfield finished its 2024 season with a 2-1 defeat to George Fox in Newberg on Saturday. The Wildcats, playing their final match, came up short despite a determined second-half effort.
The first half saw George Fox take an early lead in the second minute, as Joshua Chang found the net for the home team. Linfield struggled to find their rhythm, with several shots on target but no breakthroughs. Linfield's
E.J. Sablan tested goalkeeper Justin Huttinger early on, but his shot was saved. A series of fouls and yellow cards marked the physicality of the first half, including a yellow card on
Cameron Gaines in the 27th minute. The Wildcats went into halftime trailing 1-0.
After the break, George Fox doubled its lead when Eugene Peltier scored off a pass from Chang, going up 2-0. the Wildcats pushed forward in search of a goal, which they found in the 51
st minute when
Cameron Gaines drew a foul in the box, resulting in a penalty kick that he converted to bring the match within one.
Linfield continued to apply pressure, with
Sid Kosaris,
E.J. Sablan, and
Johann Singh Sanchez each having chances, but their shots were either saved by Huttinger or just off target. The Wildcats' defense, led by
Ross Vargo,
Evan Stafford, and
Blake Tasci, fought hard, but George Fox's defense held strong as the attack was unable to find an equalizer, ending the match with a 2-1 score in favor of the Bruins. Sablan tallied six shots, all of which were on goal while Kosaris added five shots and Sanchez poured in three more.
Linfield goalkeeper
Colby Reese made several crucial saves throughout the match, finishing with three saves, growing his season total to an even 30 saves.
The loss wrapped up a challenging season for Linfield, who finished with a 3-15-2 record and a 2-12-2 mark in the Northwest Conference. The Wildcats will now focus on building and developing for the future as they look ahead to next season.
