KIRKLAND, Wash. — Matthew Ludlow scored a first-half goal to bring Northwest University within one, but Bushnell pulled away after halftime to defeat the Eagles 4-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference men's soccer action Friday.
The Beacons struck early, taking a 1-0 lead on James Duggan's goal in the fourth minute. Joan Remo Morales added another in the 17th minute to extend Bushnell's advantage to 2-0.
Northwest answered in the 22nd minute when Ludlow scored off an assist from Samuel Brendle, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Eagles outshot the Beacons 6-4 in the opening half, with Brendle and Elias Holly also putting attempts on target, but Northwest entered the break trailing by one.
NU remained within striking distance through the opening 22 minutes of the second half. Benjamin Toscano and Ludlow each recorded attempts as the Eagles searched for the equalizer, while goalkeeper Bailey Hopkins saved a shot from Teva Mataoa in the 63rd minute.
Bushnell extended its lead in the 68th minute when Mataoa scored off an assist from Severin Larsen. Less than two minutes later, Jay Jay Van Der Velde added another goal to make it 4-1. Northwest played the remainder of the match with 10 players following a red card in the 72nd minute.
Both teams finished with nine shots, while Bushnell held a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. Ludlow led Northwest with three shots, and Toscano added two. Brendle and Holly each registered a shot on goal, and Hopkins finished with three saves over 90 minutes.
"We struggled today. We had some good moments that we need to definitely do better with, but overall, this just was not the performance that we needed," said Head Coach Gary McIntosh. "Focus shifts to tomorrow's game as we get a chance to honor the seniors and try to get three points."
The Eagles moved to 3-6-1 overall and 1-5-0 in conference play. Bushnell remained unbeaten at 8-0-4 overall and 4-0-2 in the CCC.
Northwest returns home Saturday, Oct. 10, to host Corban at 3 p.m. and honor its seniors.
