CHENEY, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University soccer team defeated Portland State, 3-0 today (Nov. 6) in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Eagles face Sacramento State in the semifinals on Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. in Greeley, Colo., at Jackson Stadium.

"Today was a cold day in Greeley and we started the first half that way, but our response in the second half is one to be proud of," said head coach Chad Bodnar. "We scored some good goals and came into the game well. Our backline was solid the whole game and should be proud of another shutout. We are happy for the result and excited to move on to Friday and have another chance at a very good Sacramento State team."

EWU goalkeeper Kelsee Winston saw action right away as she made her first save in the opening minute following a shot by PSU freshman Sienna Higinbotham. The Eagles responded with a shot in the second minute and two more in the 10th minute of the match but two of the shots were saved by PSU's goalkeeper Enya Hernandez and the other flew high over the crossbar.

The Eagles let off seven shots in the first half, outshooting the Vikings 7-2, including a rocket from junior Taylor Matheny that was headed towards the bottom center, but they could not find the back of the net as the score remained tied 0-0 going into halftime.

As the second half began, EWU junior Sariah Keister beamed a shot towards the bottom center of the goal in the 52nd minute of the match but Hernandez was there with the save. Three minutes later, in the 55th minute, Keister would have her goal from an assist by Mya Elder-Hammond as the Eagles went ahead 1-0. The goal marked Keister's seventh of the season.

With the momentum on their side, the Eagles found a second goal in the 78th minute from freshman Maddie Morgan, assisted by Saige Lyons, as the score turned 2-0. Lyons has six assists for the Eagles which moves her tied for fourth most assists in a single season in program history.

Morgan was not finished as she soared past a Portland State defender to find the back of the net in the 80th minute to record her second goal of the match. The score turned 3-0 in EWU's favor.

As the time winded down in the second half, the Eagles closed the game out without conceding a goal and landed with a 3-0 shutout victory of the Vikings.

Win Loss Record

EWU's record advances to 10-7-2 overall as their all-time series record versus the Vikings moves to 11-12-2 and 6-1-1 for head coach Chad Bodnar. The Eagles have now won five-straight matches over the Vikings.

Top Performances

Maddie Morgan took three shots and scored two goals while Sariah Keister took two shots and scored one goal for the Eagles. Mya Elder-Hammond and Taylor Matheny each took three shots and goalkeeper Kelsee Winston made five saves on the day. Winston recorded her sixth shutout of the season and 14^th of her career. Saige Lyons and Mya Elder-Hammond were each credited with an assist.

Key Stats

Eastern outshot Portland State 15-5, landing nine shots on target versus PSU's five. The Eagles had seven different players who took at least one shot and had five corner kicks to Portland State's two.

What's Next

The Eagles advance to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament as they look to face Sacramento State on Friday, Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. Pacific time at Jackson Stadium in Greeley, Colo.

Fans can catch the semifinal and championship matches on Eleven Sports and also for free on Pluto TV Ch. 531 and WatchBigSky.com. Live stats will be available HERE. For more information visit the championship central page HERE.