FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Pacific Women's Soccer picked up their first Northwest Conference win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Whitworth on Sunday afternoon.
Rhyah Jackson netted the lone goal of the contest in the first half and the Boxers' defensive backline held strong to preserve their first clean sheet of the year. Head Coach
Chelsea Davis earns her first NWC win at the helm.
Top Performers
- Rhyah Jackson found the back of the net for the third time this season, scoring for the first time since the season opener on Sept. 2.
- Excellent performances from Makaila Takahashi, Julianna Ventura, and Catalina Alvarado in the defense allowed Pacific to keep Whitworth off the scoresheet, as the trio played the full 90 minutes.
- Kylie Pascual made six saves between the posts and notched the first shutout of her career.
How It Happened
It was an even start to the match as neither team seemed to be on the front foot. Around the 20
th minute, the Pirates started to apply some pressure high up the pitch to win a pair of corners. Whitworth would strike the post twice in the opening 20 minutes, nearly finding the opening goal.
Pacific took advantage of this good fortune in the 32
nd minute when
Brooklyn Yano skipped past a defender on the wing before slipping a pass into
Mirella Garcia. The freshman showed great composure in the box to find fellow first-year, Jackson, who fired her first time shot into the back of the net to put her team out in front.
Whitworth nearly equalized before halftime but Pascual came through with some important stops to keep the Boxers on top.
The second half was similar to the first, but the Boxers proved to be quite dangerous on the counterattack. Pacific was unable to find the second goal, but some solid defending allowed the hosts to earn their first conference victory.
What It Means
Pacific earns three points and improves to 1-3. The Boxers sit in a tie for seventh in the NWC table, just one point behind sixth-place Whitworth.
Up Next
The Boxers head to Salem, Ore. on Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. to take on Willamette.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on
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