OMAHA, Neb. – The Eastern Washington women's soccer team fired off a season-high 19 shots on Wednesday, Sept. 14, but could not break through with a goal, as the Eagles collected their first tie of the 2016 season with a 0-0 draw at Omaha.

For the second time this season EWU put 10 of its shots on goal, but they were unable to find the back of the net through 110 minutes. Junior Chloe Williams put a season-best five shots on the mark in the tie, and had multiple scoring opportunities thwarted by Mavericks goalkeeper.

The Eagles had a golden opportunity to break through with a goal in the 23rd minute of play, as they drew their first penalty kick of the year. Unfortunately, Eastern could not convert on the PK, as Omaha keeper, Hayley Shelton, made the correct read and prevented EWU from scoring.

It had looked as if Eastern would get on the board in the 71st minute, but Williams' shot off an Aimie Inthoulay corner was disallowed after the referee called a foul on EWU before Williams' potential goal.
Eastern Washington fired off nine shots in the final 45 minutes of regulation, but could not get any of them past Shelton, who ended the night with 10 saves.

Omaha looked to have pulled off the victory in the 107th minute, but they too fell victim to a disallowed goal, as the side official flagged the Mavericks for an offside called. The Eagles had one more opportunity to get out of Nebraska with a win, but their late charge in the final stages of the match came up empty.

"It took us a bit to get going tonight," said head coach Chad Bodnar. "Which is understandable given the short turnaround and travel from Sunday's match in California. A lot of credit goes to Omaha. We created a lot of chances, but they defended us well, and their goalkeeper played a tremendous game."

Win-Loss Record
Both teams pick up their first tie of the 2016 season tonight, as Eastern moves to 5-1-1, while Omaha is now 2-4-1.

What it Means
Tonight marks the first tie for Eastern Washington since Oct. 30, 2015 when they tied Idaho, 1-1 in Moscow. The Eagles also move to 3-1-1 going into their final match of their season-long seven-game road trip. The draw also extends EWU's unbeaten streak to three matches.

Keys to the Game
The defensive front of the Eagles helped freshman goalkeeper Hadley Bezon earn a clean sheet in her first collegiate start. The Maple Valley, Washington native picked up four saves in 110 minutes of action.

On the other end, Omaha's Haley Shelton kept her team alive through EWU's relentless attack, tallying 10 total saves, while using her 6-foot frame to deflect a trio of shots a shorter goalie would not have been able to get to.

Top Performers
Chloe Williams was a menace on the offensive end, collecting eighth shots, while putting five on goal. As a team, UNO only put together four shots on goal.

Junior Delaney Romero got involved offensively as well, with three shots on the evening and two on goal.

Hadley Bezon was impressive in her first collegiate start, recording a shutout while pulling down four saves.

Turning Point
Eastern Washington had a chance to put the Mavericks away early in the first half, as the team was awarded its first penalty kick of the year. The Eagles failed to capitalize on the gift, as Shelton made the correct read and deflected the attempt out of bounds.

Both teams had the potential game-winning goal disallowed late in the match. It had looked like Eastern converted on a corner kick, but the center referee called a foul on the Eagles just as the ball found the back of the net. Omaha thought they had picked up the golden-goal victory in the 107th minute, but an offside call by the side official negated the game-winner.

Team Highlights
EWU was lights out offensively by collecting a season-best 19 shots. Of those 19, 10 found the mark, which matches a season-high set against Cal State Bakersfield last Friday, Sept. 9.

Notables
Today's contest marked the first tie of the year for EWU, and was just the fourth tie in 42 games under Chad Bodnar's leadership.

Chloe Williams put together a season-high of shots and shots on goal, moving her season total to 26 and 12, respectively. In just the last three games, Williams has recorded 17 shots, 10 shots on goal, and three goals. It is safe to say she has reached mid-season form early on.

Hadley Bezon started her EWU career on a high note with a shutout and four saves in 110 minutes of action.

This was the first time in program history that EWU and UNO met each other on the pitch, as the all-time series will remain even.

Bodnar Bites
"It was just one of those nights the ball wouldn't go in for us. Our backline did well and Hadley was very steady in her first game out for us. We will rest up and get ready for our last game of the trip Friday. Our kids played hard tonight and we are proud of the effort for sure."

What's Next
The Eagles close out their seven-game road trip at South Dakota on Friday, Sept. 16, starting at 2 p.m. PST.

For more information, and exclusive content, on the Eastern Washington soccer team, follow @EWUSoccer on Twitter.