FOREST GROVE – In a defensive battle on a blustery Sunday afternoon, a free position goal in the second period by Amy Mayhugh proved the game-winner in a 7-3 victory over the Whittier Poets at Hanson Stadium.
 
Whittier looked to set the pace with a goal from Taylor Pool 58 seconds into the game, before April Lanz (So., Oregon City, Ore.) snagged Pacific possession for the first time in the match off the following draw.
 
After gaining possession of the ball in the Boxers' offensive third, Kara Smouse (Jr., Portland, Ore.) drew a foul and converted a free position chance to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Mahea Wong (Jr., Lake Stevens, Wash.) controlled the next draw and helped set-up another free position look for Pacific, but Whittier goalkeeper Nicole Yorba recorded one of her 14 saves to keep the game tied at 1-1.
 
Neither team was able to score over nearly 11 minutes of play as the two keepers combined for four shots in the period before Rebekah Delledera scored for the Poets and put Whittier up 2-1 with 17:03 left in the opening period.
 
The two defenses stepped up for another long period, as the Boxers were not able to tie the game at 2-2 until the 4:06 mark when Mayhugh (Sr., Tigard, Ore.) dished the ball to Lanz for Lanz's 17th goal of the season. Lanz's goal was the final one of the opening half as the teams hit the ten-minute break tied 2-2.
 
Pacific snagged the first draw of the second half before the two sides exchanged turnovers in the middle third of the field. Once the turnovers halted, Paisley Hiefield (So., Portland, Ore.) had drawn a free position for Pacific and scored her seventh goal of the season and gave Pacific a lead it would not surrender over the final 29 minutes.
 
Mayhugh scored the eventual game winner less than a minute after Hiefield's free position, with a free position goal of her own.
 
The Boxers' lead extended to 5-2 at the 26:36-mark when Mayhugh controlled a draw and headed straight to the cage for her second goal of the day.
 
Whittier responded at 23:23, when Meesha Robinson cut the Pacific lead to two at 5-3. The two sides exchanged looks and stout defense for the next ten minutes until Mayhugh completed her hat trick and gave the Boxers a 6-3 lead.
 
Wong rounded out the scoring with 4:33 on the clock, before the Boxers managed to run out the clock on a 7-3 victory.
 
Mayhugh led Pacific on the day with three goals, one assist, three draw controls and five caused turnovers. Lanz grabbed a game-high five ground balls in the victory.
 
In goal, Adrienne Salzwedel (So., Beaverton, Ore.) stopped six shots on the day.
 
The Boxers continue the home schedule on Tuesday as Augsburg College visits Hanson Stadium with first draw scheduled for 6 p.m.