NEWBERG, Ore. – Linfield's historic first appearance in the Northwest Conference Tournament ended in heartbreak Friday afternoon as the Wildcats fell 19-10 to top-seeded George Fox at the Austin Sports Complex.
The Bruins, undefeated in conference play, came out firing, scoring six goals in the opening quarter and finishing with a balanced attack that saw seven different players find the back of the net. Despite the loss, Linfield showed resilience and competitive fire as they fought back time and again to tighten the score. Trailing 8-3 midway through the second, Linfield scored three quick goals to trim the deficit to 9-6 at halftime.
Gabby Crist and
Mackenzie Kulick each netted four goals to lead the Wildcats offensively.
Maya Wright added two goals, while
Savannah Irwin and
Evelyn Cross combined for three assists.
Crist opened Linfield's scoring in the first quarter and later added goals in the second and third periods, including a man-up finish midway through the third to once again pull the Wildcats within three. Kulick heated up in the middle quarters, scoring three of her four goals in the second and third quarters. Wright's second goal late in the third quarter kept Linfield within striking distance, but the Bruins responded with seven of the game's final eight goals to put the game away.
George Fox was led by Ava Bluhm and Lana Davis, who each scored five times. Claire Abraham added a hat trick and two assists. The Bruins outshot Linfield 34-24 and won the ground ball battle 21-19. The Wildcats forced 23 turnovers and played solid defensively.
Linfield goalie
Tenley Hodge made nine saves in the loss.
Emma Baker forced three turnovers herself while
Madison De La Trinidad added two caused turnovers.
Elizabeth Long contributed three ground balls and a caused turnover on the defensive end.
The tournament appearance was Linfield's first since the program's inception, capping a season of major growth that included the team's most wins under head coach
Sarah Dalsey.
