TACOMA, Wash. --- Linfield womens soccer's (5-1-4, 3-1-2 NWC) nine-match unbeaten streak came to an end on Saturday afternoon, falling 2-1 to the Puget Sound Loggers (5-2-2, 4-0-1 NWC).
The opening half saw limited scoring chances for either side as both defenses stood tall. Goalkeeper
Alexa Fritz kept Linfield in it early, stopping a pair of shots from Puget Sound in the 9th and 10th minutes. Linfield's first opportunity came when defender
Parker Vale tested the Loggers' keeper with a low shot in the 14th minute, forcing a save.
Despite a balanced first half, the Loggers broke through in the 33rd minute, scoring in the low left corner of the goal, giving the Loggers a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats continued to press forward, earning three first-half corners, including one in the 37th minute that nearly resulted in an equalizer when freshman
Fia Swanson's shot was stopped at close range. Linfield entered halftime trailing 1-0.
Puget Sound extended its advantage again in the 52nd minute, putting the Wildcats in a 2-0 hole early in the second half.
Linfield regrouped defensively as Fritz and her back line — anchored by
Reese Jones,
Parker Vale, and
Sofia Pietrok — limited further damage and began building play through the midfield.
The Wildcats' persistence paid off in the 78th minute when Lacktrup found space and finished confidently to cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal was Lacktrup's second of the season and gave Linfield life heading into the final stretch.
Linfield pushed hard for the equalizer, earning multiple late chances. Senior midfielder
Mia Curtaz forced a key save in the 86th minute, and the Wildcats continued to press until the final whistle.
Fritz finished the afternoon with three saves, all in the first half, while Linfield recorded seven total shots and four on goal. The Wildcats also earned five corner kicks compared to Puget Sound's four.
The Wildcats will travel across Tacoma for the weekend finale tomorrow afternoon against Pacific Lutheran, who also entered the weekend unbeaten in Northwest Conference play.
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