MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Despite a decent start, the Linfield Wildcats were unable to defeat the North Central Cardinals on a rainy and cold Tuesday night match at the Linfield lacrosse field.

Dropping a 17-3 decision in their final home contest of the 2013 season, the Wildcats fell to 0-5. The Cardinals, on a three-match tour of the Pacific Northwest, earned their first win, moving to 1-2.

North Central’s Jacqui Morgan began with a goal in the first 30 seconds of play before the Wildcats’ Brittani Drost (Sr., Forest Grove, Ore.) knotted the score at 1 at the 26:01 mark.

The Cardinals quickly responded at 23:04 with a goal by Bianca Perri on a play set up by Morgan.

The Cardinals scored their next seven goals, snatching the momentum from Linfield after a promising start.

The first half ended with the Cardinals leading 11-2.

The second half saw both teams experience difficulties getting to the net, as the rain and cold began to take its toll. The Cardinals outscored the Wildcats 6-1 in the second half.

Drost scored three times in her final home match, assisted twice by Halee Helgerson (Soph., Milwaukie, Ore).

The top scorers for the Cardinals were Morgan with five goals and Danielle Fiala with four. NCC’s Claire Norfleet was credited with a match-high three assists. Adelaide Deickmeyer, Danielle Fiala, Morgan, and Perri each set up a pair of goals for the visitors from Naperville, Ill.

NEXT: The Wildcats head out to California to meet Chapman at noon on Monday, then take on Whittier two days later. The ‘Cats return to the Pacific Northwest for a visit to Puget Sound on April 7 before finishing up the season with an April 12 contest at Pacific.