"I Don't Believe What I Just Saw!"

Just like Jack Buck when he announced Kirk Gibson's improbable bomb for the Dodgers in game 1 of the 1988 World Series, there are moments we all have where we truly have not believed what we just saw.

At Pacific, I have had a few of those moments.
• Pacific at Lewis & Clark men's basketball, 1997. During their march to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, Pacific is up one with less than 10 seconds left. With a hand in his face, L&C forward Whitney Brake launches a 15-footer that hits the rim, flies straight up and drops into the net at horn. The Pacific simply sat there...stunned.

• Pacific vs. Lewis & Clark, 2005 baseball season. On a cold, drizzly March evening, Pacific starter proceeds to set a NCAA Division III record for batters hit by pitch. The inside throwing lefty plunked seven batters, yet went on to throw a complete-game four hitter and the Boxers won 4-2.

Then...there was tonight's women's soccer match against George Fox. The Boxers were looking for anything...ANYTHING...that would get them off the schnied after going scoreless for seven matches.

In the 50th minute, it looked like it had happened. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Jenny Novak scored to tie the match. The scoreless streak had ended at 680 minutes, and not a moment too soon.

But, as I had predicted to Joy Boswell earlier in the month, it would only take one goal to open the floodgates. What I didn't predict, though, is that Novak would try to do it single-handedly. The former Pleasant Hill Billy (from the city of Pleasant Hill, near Eugene...and yes, that's their mascot) buried two more to put Pacific up 3-1 with 15 minutes to go. It was Pacific's first hat trick since 2003...and I think everyone thought this one was wrapped up. (Jenny could have easily had four or five goals in this one. Two shots were well saved by GFU goalkeeper Sally Page and another apparent first half goal was waived off by an offside call.)

Everyone except George Fox's Kristen Cardwell and Jenny McKinsey. Cardwell scored a quick one in the 81st minute to make the score 3-2. No more than two minutes later, McKinsey ties it with a high lofting shot from 20 yards out. Three minutes after that, McKinsey makes it 4-3 with a chip shot from eight yards out. And she wasn't done. McKinsey got a breakaway in the final minute of action and buried it to not only secure the winning 5-3 total, but score a hat trick of her own.

Two hat tricks in one match. Wow. And the George Fox comeback...wow. It was truly one of those times when you sit there, stunned, wondering if you had really seen what just happened.

Much of what happened in the final nine minutes was a result of Pacific defensive breakdowns. Perhaps it was the defense getting a little complacent. After all, when one of your teammates scores three unanswered goals, you would get pretty confident yourself. It is the mistake a young team can make when you are trying to quickly forget the last seven matches.

Head Coach Joy Boswell took the high road after this one. She would have had a right to be upset with the lapse in the final 10 minutes. Instead, she was happy to see her team get their scoring touch back. Is there still work to do? Sure, but sometimes confidence comes in little steps instead of one big swing.

This one will sting for both Boz and the team, but it should only prove helpful for them when they go to Linfield on Saturday. They have broken through, found the back of the net and know they have that scoring touch. Just keep giving it to Jenny Novak...and all should be fine.