On Saturday, Oct. 9 the Lady Loggers defeated the Linfield Wildcats 3-1. What was a tied score for the majority of the match became a defeat for the Loggers in the final moments of the game.
Despite an early Logger lead courtesy of senior Molly Winterrowd’s (Tigard, Ore.) goal in the 23rd minute, the Wildcats were able to tie the game up with a free kick in the 53rd minute. Serious determination and grappling were seen on the field as both teams gave it their all. The Loggers’ breakthrough goal came from junior Christine Isabella (Salt Lake City, Utah), assisted by Winterrowd, as she scored the second goal for the Loggers.
The recent success of the the women’s soccer program has set a high standard for this year’s team, and an early season loss to Whitworth could have been a major stumbling block. But the team has responded positively. According to junior Mikaela Freeman (Alameda, Calif.), “Our team has been able to turn the season around and improve so much from where we started out. After Whitworth, we knew what needed to be done and we weren’t going to let what happened in that game happen to us again. This weekend was a great show of how we have been able to step it up since that loss and come out even stronger in the end.”
A special highlight of the game was Theresa Henle’s goal for the Loggers. She headed the ball from a corner kick, ensuring a 3-1 win and scoring her 10th goal of the season.
Sunday, Oct. 10’s game was no exception to the Logger’s competitive attitude. The Loggers beat Pacific University 5-0. The shut-out gave the team a needed confidence boost, but it would not have been possible without the tough training Freeman described.
It might have been home-field advantage, or it might have even been that boost in confidence, but whatever it was, the Loggers took control of the field. Pacific stood little chance against a team that held possession of the ball for the majority of the game. Shot attempts were 21 for the Loggers and a mere 3 for Pacific.
Goals in the game were contributed by Henle, Isabella, and junior Jenny Moore (Kent, Wash.), and senior Kelly Andersen (Centennial, Colo.). Playing as goalkeeper, sophomore Jess Yarbrough (Golden, Colo.) had two saves in the match, effectively shutting down Pacific.
“The best part of the games on Saturday and Sunday were how well we played together and were able to get great wins even with the poor soccer conditions,” Freeman said.
True competitive spirit was seen both days, as the Loggers had a breakthrough moment on Saturday, and then shut out Pacific on Sunday. The Loggers never looked back.