Box Score TACOMA, Wash. – In the first Northwest Conference match of the season for the Puget Sound men's soccer team, the Loggers were strong early against Willamette and were able to hold on for a 3-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at East Field.
Puget Sound improves to .500 on the year at 2-2-0 and 1-0 in NWC play while Willamette falls to 1-2-1, 0-1.
For most of the match the Loggers controlled possession, taking a 2-0 lead at the half. Sophomore Andrew White (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) scored his first of two goals in the game in the 21st minute on a double assist by senior Terence Blackburn (Tacoma, Wash.) and sophomore Landon Gauthier (Fox Island, Wash.).
White scored the second goal in the 31st minute in the middle of the box past Bearcat keeper Alfredo Zuniga on an address by sophomore Vincent McCluskey (Seattle, Wash.).
Just five minutes into the second half, Gauthier got his own goal, unassisted, on a great shot near the Logger bench on the right side of the field. He struck the ball perfectly and it bent around the keeper on the left side for a goal.
Willamette struck twice late in the game but was unable to get the tying goal in. The first goal for the Bearcast came in the 75th minute as Mike McGrew struck the ball hard about 20 yards out and it bounced off of Logger goalkeeper Chris McDonald and went into the back of the net.
With 40 seconds left in the game, Adan Vazquez scored on an assist by Loftin Langsdorf.
The Bearcats out-shot the Loggers 12-8 and 7-4 on goal. McDonald made five saves in the game.
The Loggers face Linfield on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on East Field.
