GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The Eastern Washington University soccer team defeated North Dakota 2-1 in overtime today (Oct. 6) to remain unbeaten in Big Sky play. This win marked their first road game since Sept. 3 after finishing up a seven-match home stand last Sunday. With this victory, the Eagles improve to 9-4-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the Big Sky.

"Today was just a tough road win against a team that came to play hard against us. Credit to UND for battling and being a physical team with a plan. The field conditions were a worry for our staff going in as it was very chopped up, but our kids handled it fairly well," said head coach Chad Bodnar. "Teams are always going to be tough to beat on the road in this conference and I'm proud of our kids for finding a way. We weren't as sharp as we usually are in front of goal, but we strung some good stuff together going forward. We just didn't put the final touch on it today. Now we hit the airport and on to Colorado for a very tough UNC team. I'm proud of our kids for grinding one out."
 
It took Eastern just four minutes to score when Aimie Inthoulay connected on a pass from Emma Vanderhyden and Allison Raniere following a corner kick. Inthoulay's second goal of the season gave EWU an early 1-0 lead.

Eastern was able to keep North Dakota off the scoreboard in the ninth minutes when Emily Busselman saved a Fighting Hawk penalty kick following a foul in the box.

Both M'Kenna Hayes and Chloe Williams took shots on goal in the first half, but they could get it past the UND keeper as they headed into halftime up 1-0. EWU entered the break outshooting North Dakota 11-5.

In the second half, EWU took the first shot on goal with an attempt from Vanderhyden, but Klein made another save.
 
North Dakota netted the equalizer in the 66th minute from Katie Moller's seventh goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1.

Right after the goal, Chloe Williams took a shot on goal in the 69th minute, but Klein came up with another save.

In the 78th minute, the Fighting Hawks had another opportunity to score when Mimi Eden took a shot but Busselman was there to collect another save for the Eagles.

At the end of 90 minutes, the score was tied at 1-1 and the teams went into overtime.
 
In the fifth minute of extra time, Vanderhyden scored her first goal of the season to give the Eagles their third straight victory in the Big Sky Conference, extending EWU's unbeaten streak to five matches.
 
With this win, Busselman collects her sixth win in net along with her first victory in overtime. She also tied her career high of five saves. Her other game with five saves came against CSUN on Sept. 10.
 
Win-Loss Record
EWU improves to 9-4-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the Big Sky Conference. This win takes the Eagle's away record to 2-1 on the year. North Dakota falls to 4-6-3 on the year and 2-3 in the conference.
 
EWU improved its overall record against UND and is now leading it 5-1-0. Last year, the Eagles won 6-1 at Northern Dakota, setting a new program record for goals in a single match. Head coach Chad Bodnar also improves to 4-0 against The Fighting Hawks.
 
What it Means
Eastern Washington is the only team left in the Big Sky Conference to remain undefeated. It also marks the first win in an overtime period for the Eagles so far this season.
 
Keys to the Game
The Eagles were able to score before heading into halftime, putting them in a 1-0 lead for the majority of the game.
 
Goalkeeper Emily Busselman only allowed one goal throughout the 90-minute contest and in overtime. The senior tied her career high with five saves on the day.
 
Top Performers
Aimie Inthoulay was able to get the Eagles on the board in the first half, giving them a 1-0 lead. She also led EWU in shots with seven and two on goal.
 
Emma Vanderhyden scored the game-winning goal for the Eastern Washington, also marking her first goal of her college career. She also tallied an assist for three points on the day.
 
Chloe Williams was right behind Inthoulay with six shots and two on goal.
 
Notables
The Eagles continued their streak of outshooting their opponents with taking 24 shots compared to the Fighting Hawks' 12.
 
Eastern is now the lone undefeated team in the Big Sky Conference with a 3-0-1 record.
 
With this win, head coach Chad Bodnar remains undefeated against North Dakota, going 4-0 overall since he took over in 2014.
 
What's Next
The Eastern Washington Eagles will continue their road trip as they travel to Northern Colorado on Sunday, Oct. 8 with an 11 a.m. Pacific time game.