Moscow, Idaho – The Eastern Washington University women's soccer team put on a complete performance Friday, Aug. 29, tacking on four goals while recording its second consecutive clean sheet en route to a 4-0 win over host Idaho in a nonconference match.

Won-Loss Records
EWU won its second consecutive game to improve to 2-1 on the young season while Idaho falls to 0-3.

Turning Point
Eastern came out with an attacking mindset from the start, controlling possession and keeping the ball in Idaho's half of the field. Freshman Savannah Hoekstra finally broke through in the 21st minute, slotting home a ball from senior Cassie Black to give EWU a 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Ua Ruedy made it 2-0 to the Eagles just five minutes later, putting home a cross from freshman Chloe Williams.

EWU went up 3-0 on an own goal off of a cross from freshman M'Kenna Hayes in the 50th minute, all but sealing the win. Sophomore Paige Gallaway put a fourth goal in the net thanks to a superb individual effort that saw her weave through the Vandals' defense before placing the ball into the top left corner.

Top Performers
Gallaway led all players with four shots, getting a pair on target. She hit the post early in the second half before scoring an incredible individual goal in the 53rd minute that saw her dribble around four Idaho defenders before finishing into the top left corner.

Senior goalkeeper Nathalie Schwery came up with a number of impressive saves on the night to keep the Vandals off the scoreboard. Idaho finished with 11 shots but Schwery had the answer for all six of its shots on goal.

Key Stat
The Eagles created a number of scoring chances on the night, finishing with 14 total shots, nine of which came on goal. Gallaway tallied a game-high four shots while both Black and freshman Caylah Lunning registered two shots apiece. All told, nine different players recorded at least one shot.

Quoting Coach Bodnar
"We continue to improve and it's a very nice thing for us to see as a staff. Our back line posted another shutout and has continued to gain continuity as a group. Our play in the attacking third has been good and we have been sharp in front of goal and look dangerous going forward. We still have a long ways to go and will continue to work on improving things when we regroup next week. It's a credit to our players' effort and willingness to work and try new things. Tonight was a good performance all around."

Game Notes
* Eastern's previous largest margin of victory over Idaho was 2-0 on Sept. 14, 2012. Neither team had ever defeated the other by four goals in 17 previous meetings.
* The last time EWU won two consecutive matches was in 2012 when the Eagles won three straight in the middle of September.
* The Eagles had not recorded two consecutive shutouts since the end of their 2009 campaign when they defeated both Weber State and Idaho State 1-0.

Tweet of the Game

 

Up Next
Eastern will play its fourth straight road game next Friday, Sept. 5, against Seattle. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.