PORTLAND, Ore. - Down six goals midway through the second quarter, Linfield responded with a blistering offensive attack to stun Lewis & Clark 16-12 on Wednesday night at Griswold Stadium, earning a statement Northwest Conference victory and avenging an early-season loss to the Pioneers.
Gabby Crist erupted for six goals, five of which came after halftime, as the Wildcats stormed back from a deficit with a 15-goal outburst over the final three quarters.
Maya Wright scored four goals, and
Savannah Irwin contributed three goals and four assists to pace a balanced Linfield offense that tallied 27 total shots.
The win came just over a month after Linfield fell 14-12 to Lewis & Clark in McMinnville.
Wednesday's rematch initially looked like it might follow a similar script, as the Pioneers scored the game's first four goals and led 5-1 after the first 15 minutes. Aviana Gonzales and Mack Searle led the early charge, with Gonzales netting four goals and Searle scoring twice in the first half as Lewis & Clark extended the lead into the second quarter.
Linfield's rally began with goals from
Grayce Miller and Crist, followed by two from Wright in the final five minutes of the half to trim the deficit to 8-5 at halftime. That momentum carried into the third, where Crist found the net three more times and Wright added two more goals to tie the game 10-10 with under three minutes left in the quarter.
Crist gave the Wildcats their first lead before Irwin extended the lead with a goal right before the quarter ended, capping a seven-goal quarter that flipped the game's momentum. Crist struck again early in the fourth, and goals from
Mackenzie Kulick and
Maizri Chandler helped Linfield pull away despite two late scores from Lewis & Clark's Sage Swegle.
Crist finished with three draw controls and five ground balls in addition to her six goals. Wright added six draw controls of her own, and Irwin contributed five ground balls.
Evelyn Cross dished out two assists, and Chandler added a goal and an assist.
Goalkeeper
Tenley Hodge made six saves over the first three quarters before
Caity Babcock closed out the final 15 minutes, allowing just two goals.
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Linfield now sits in fourth place in the NWC standings and has snapped its two-game losing streak. The Wildcats return home on April 26 to host George Fox in the penultimate match of the season.
