MCMINNVILLE, Oregon – Haley Schuster scored five goals, as the Puget Sound lacrosse team defeated Linfield, 11-9, on Sunday afternoon to open Northwest Conference play.     

Schuster led all scorers with her five goals. Ella Frazer had three goals, while Roxanne Krietzman had two goals. Meghan Bacher added one goal for the Loggers (2-1, 1-0 NWC).

Linfield (1-2, 0-1 NWC) opened the scoring, taking a quick 2-0 lead in the first two minutes. The Loggers came back to tie the game on goals by Schuster and Krietzman, but the Wildcats pulled ahead again, taking a 5-2 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. Puget Sound then rattled off three consecutive goals to tie the game heading into halftime.

Puget Sound outscored the Wildcats 6-4 in the second half, with Schuster scoring three of her five goals in the second period. The Loggers relied on their defense in the final eight minutes, during which neither team scored, and Puget Sound held on to its two-goal advantage to earn the first conference victory of 2017.  

Elena Becker recorded three ground balls, while eight different Loggers scooped two ground balls in the game. Izzy Amaya recorded four draw controls, and Ali Walker had three. Becker led Puget Sound with five caused turnovers, with Marcella Heineke just behind with four. Goalkeeper Ally Benko (1-1) earned the victory, allowing nine goals and making three saves in 60 minutes.

The Loggers will next travel to Whitman on Saturday, March 11. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

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