TACOMA, Wash. --- Linfield men's soccer (1-8-1, 1-4-1 NWC) grabed their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a pair of goals from
Sam Haynes, defeating Puget Sound (4-3-1, 3-2 NWC), 3-2.
Linfield's
Sam Haynes and
Evan Stafford got the offense going with a pair of shots in the first three minutes, propelling the Wildcats to strike first in the 13th minute.
Davidson Kathman found Haynes streaking through the center of the box, and the senior slotted the ball into the net to give Linfield a 1-0 lead. It gave the Wildcats their first lead since taking on Willamette in Salem.
Puget Sound responded just three minutes later. converting from close range to tie the game 1-1. Linfield tried to capture the lead at the end of the half, making a run on offense, bit
Nick Reggiani and
Ross Vargo's attempts were off target. The score remained level at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Linfield regained control early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Haynes was fouled inside the box, earning a penalty kick, where he buried his second goal of the afternoon, finishing low to the right to make it 2-1 Wildcats. The senior forward's brace marked his first multi-goal game of the year and energized Linfield's sideline.
Puget Sound nearly leveled moments later with a penalty kick of its own, but Foote's attempt in the 52nd minute missed wide left — a crucial moment that kept Linfield in front.
Tensions escalated midway through the second half. Linfield's
Don Moss, Haynes,
Anderson Kelly, and
Ross Vargo were each booked for yellow cards during a physical 30-minute stretch, while UPS picked up both a yellow and a red card in the 80th minute, reducing the Loggers to 10 men.
Linfield found the eventual game-winner in the 87th minute. Midfielder Danny Paz scored the deciding goal after a sequence started by Kathman and extended by the Wildcats' buildup through midfield. The goal gave Linfield a 3-1 cushion and capped an impressive second-half surge.
Puget Sound managed a late response one minute later, with a goal in the 88th minute to trim the deficit to 3-2. Linfield snapped a nine-game winless streak to open the season, earning four points in the table over the last two games.
Linfield finished with nine total shots and four on goal while converting its lone penalty kick. The Wildcats also earned three corner kicks and overcame 10 team fouls in a physical match that featured 10 combined cards between the two sides. Hayes took four of the 'Cats nine shots, recording his first two goals of the season. Toves recorded one save, while the Linfield defense only allowed three shots on goal.
The Wildcats aim to build on the momentum from the long week of matches, set to face NWC unbeaten Pacific Lutheran across Tacoma at 2:45 p.m.
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