PARKLAND, WASH. – It took the Pacific women's soccer team less than a minute to get their first shot on goal. It took them over an hour to score.
No matter what the sport, the win is always worth the wait.
Shekema McCarthy (Sr., Davis, Calif.) scored off an assist by
Jordan Bodily (Sr., Eagle, Idaho) in the 77
th minute and the Boxers defense took care of the rest, limiting Pacific Lutheran to just two shots on goal in a 1-0 Northwest Conference victory Saturday at PLU Soccer Field.
Kailee Green (Fr., Hillsboro, Ore.) fired a salvo at the PLU goal just 44 seconds into the match as Pacific (6-4-3 NWC, 9-5-3 overall) outshot the Lutes 10-3 in the opening half. Lutes goalkeeper Lauren Chambard kept the Boxers off the board with five saves in the first 45 minutes, while Pacific's
Brittany Hartmann (Jr., Portland, Ore.) picked up her only save of the match in the first period. Hartmann got a pick-me-up from her team, as a Boxers defender was able to protect an open goal with an additional save in the first half.
After Pacific dominated play in the opening half, the teams settled into more of a defensive game in the second stanza. The Boxers finally capitalized on their sizable shot advantage when McCarthy connected on her fourth goal of the season on the receiving end of Bodily's third assist.
Pacific Lutheran (3-11, 4-12) wasn't done. The Lutes' narrowly missed the equalizing goal when Karli Hurlbut sent a shot off the crossbar late in the 80
th minute. Just two minutes earlier, Hurlbut sent a header over the crossbar.
Hurlbut and Danielle Willams had two shots each, with Williams finding the frame once for PLU. Bodily led all players with five shots and two shots on goal. The Boxers had a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Saturday's win guarantees a winning season for the Boxers, who close out the season with three games against the top three teams in the conference.
Pacific returns home to face Willamette at noon Sunday. The Bearcats are currently in third place, one point behind Puget Sound and Linfield in the NWC standings. The Boxers close out the season against the co-leaders next Friday and Saturday.
