Box Score
FOREST GROVE – An improved effort on the pitch was enough to narrow the gap and end a four-match scoreless streak, but not enough to get over the hump for the injury-riddled Pacific men's soccer team.
A Boxer own-goal broke a 1-1 tie in the first half and Puget Sound held off a solid second half challenge from the home team in a 2-1 Northwest Conference victory at Lincoln Park Stadium Sunday.
The Loggers (9-4-0 NWC, 10-6-0 overall) got on the board early, finishing a two-on-one breakaway when Connor LaFerriere sent a perfectly-timed pass to Andrew White, who tapped in from five yards out just inside the left post in the 7th minute.
Pacific evened the score in the 29th minute when freshman midfielder
Alex Arrington (Fr., Portland, Ore.) was in the right place at the right time, powering
Adler Pottebaum's defelected shot into the back of the net from close range to knot the game at 1-1.
An unfortunate break gave UPS the game-winning goal when
Garrick Knowles (Fr., Roseburg, Ore.) inadvertently sent the ball spinning backwards on an attempted clearance, the ball taking an agonizingly slow roll towards the goal line with keeper
Zach Cohen (So., Graton, Calif.) on the other side of the box, helpless to stop the inevitable own goal.
The Loggers would make the one-goal lead stand up, outshooting Pacific 8-3 in the second half after the teams played evenly with six shots apiece in the first 45 minutes.
Victor Wilson (So., Juneau, Alaska) had two near misses on his two shots, sliding onto a cross to send a shot just over the bar from close range early in the second half and missing just wide on a follow-up after
Nick Rudella (So., Sammamish, Wash.) split two Logger defenders and drove a strong strike that Logger goalkeeper Chris McDonald parried away for one of his four saves.
Mason Nakama (So., Honolulu, Hawaii) had two shots on goal to lead Pacific. White placed both of his shots on frame for UPS, while Landon Gauthier led all players with four total shots, putting one on target.
The Boxers (4-8-1, 4-12-1) hope to end the season on a winning note when they host George Fox on Sunday, Nov. 5. The match kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park Stadium.
