Knowles Knows: Garrick's Game-Winner Ends Men's Soccer Losing Skid

Knowles Knows: Garrick's Game-Winner Ends Men's Soccer Losing Skid

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Box Score

FOREST GROVE – Garrick Knowles (Jr., Roseburg, Ore.) scored the game-winner in the 34th minute Sunday as Pacific ended a seven-match winless streak with a 2-0 shutout of George Fox in Northwest Conference men's soccer action at Lincoln Park Stadium.
 
Knowles converted a free kick to put the Boxers on the board.  Taking the attempt from the far side of the pitch, Knowles roped his shot through a set of defenders into the near corner of the net for his second goal of the year as the Boxers collected their third shutout of the year.
 
After a slow start offensively, the Boxers (6-6-1, 1-5-1 NWC) succeeded in controlling much of the offensive tempo the rest of the way.  Pacific outshot the Bruins 19-10 while maintaining a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Jorge Mandujano (Sr., Cornelius, Ore.) gave the Boxers a welcomed insurance goal in the 70th minute.  Mason Nakama (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) hooked a ball into the central area of the box.  Love had the first attempt at the net, with his shot going off the far post.  Mandjuano was in the right spot to rebound the carom into far corner for his second goal of the season.
 
George Fox (1-12-0, 0-7-0 NWC) started the match with the offensive momentum, but couldn't convert on a number of early opportunities.  Luke Hammer had a nice look at a header from five yards out in the fifth minute, but the flick flew right to the waiting hands of Pacific goalie Michael Summers (Sr., Beaverton, Ore.).
 
Sawyer Meek gave the Bruins another good look in the 13th minute, breaking away on the near side.  His wide-open shot from 15 yards out, however, flew wide of the net.
 
Pacific had a number of good looks in the second half before Mandujano netted the insurance goal.  Ian Farley (Jr., Spokane, Wash.) had the best early opportunity, turning past a defender at the box of the box and firing away from 12-yards out, but George Fox goalkeeper Ricardo Sotelo made a diving save to punch the ball away.
 
Rudella nearly made a 3-0 match in the 82nd minute, but his shot from the top of the 18-yard box sailed just over the crossbar at the far post.
 
The Bruins' best second half opportunity came in the 58th minute when Angelo Florez turned and burned past a Pacific defender and fired a rocket from the top of the 18-yard box.  Summers was in position for the diving save to keep the shutout alive.
 
Summers, making his first start in three matches, picked up his first shutout of the season while improving to 5-4-0 on the season.  He finished the day with four saves.  Sotelo dropped to 0-5-0 on the season, making six saves before leaving in the 83rd minute with an injury.
 
Pacific will open the second half of their NWC schedule with a pair of matches on the road.  The Boxers play at Linfield on Saturday and Willamette on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. both days.
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