NEWBERG, Ore. – Whitworth University opened the 2025 women's lacrosse season with an 18-14 loss at George Fox University, the reigning Northwest Conference champions.
A non-conference matchup, Saturday's score is the closest the Pirates (0-1) have ever played the eight-time NWC champion Bruins (1-0).
Campbell Vincent scored a match-high six goals for Whitworth.
George Fox outscored the Pirates 5-2 in the first quarter, after jumping ahead 5-0. Merrick Gibson scored the match's first two goals, while Ava Bluhm tallied the next two. Sierra Witte scored Whitworth's first goal of the season and Vincent added her first with less than a minute to play in the period.
The second quarter was much closer, with each team scoring five goals. Bluhm scored two more for the Bruins, while Witte and Vincent each scored another for the Bucs. Megan Whitman and Kenison Turner scored for Whitworth 40 seconds apart to pull the Pirates to within 9-7. But GFU took a 10-7 lead into halftime by scoring with ten seconds left in the second.
The third period was the lowest-scoring of the match with the Bruins outscoring Whitworth 3-2 to take a 13-9 lead into the final quarter. Kenzie Hemman and Turner each scored her second goal of the contest in the third.
George Fox started fast in the final quarter, scoring the first three goals to take a 16-9 lead. But the Pirates weren't done and fought back with five of the next six goals to pull within 17-14 with 4:04 to play. Vincent took over, scoring three in a row and four total in the period. Unfortunately the Bucs could not find the net again over the final four minutes and the Bruins put the contest out of reach when Morgan Maxfield scored with just over a minute to play.
Vincent's goal total ties her own single-game school record. Witte had two goals and two assists, while Hemman and Turner each finished with a pair. Megan Whitman finished with 10 of Whitworth's 19 draw controls. The Pirates were hurt by 30 turnovers.
Bluhm and Gibson each scored four goals for George Fox, while Maxfield had two goals and a match-high five assists.
Sage Fosnock made 13 saves in the match for Whitworth. The Pirates will take on Willamette University in another non-conference match-up on Sunday afternoon.
