CHENEY, Wash. — From now on, the games count for Eastern Washington women's soccer as the 2023 season begins this Thursday, Aug. 17. Eastern will travel to play Washington State in Pullman, with kick off time set for 7 p.m. The Eagles then go to Stockton, Calif. For a matchup against Pacific on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m.
In the preseason, Eastern went undefeated, earning a 2-2 draw against Washington in Seattle on Aug. 7. The scores for EWU came from senior Maddie Morgan and sophomore Chloe Pattison, while the Eagles defense and Kiara Matson held the Huskies scoreless in the second half.
The preseason finale saw junior Grace Terrill deliver a game-winning goal against Trinity Western (2-1) in the 88th minute. Terrill's goal was a redirected header from Morgan, off a corner from Elisabeth Cole.
Pattison netted the Eagles' first goal, with Terrill on the assist.
Eastern has a strong group of non-conference teams coming to Cheney, with Nebraska starting the home slate on Aug. 24. The Eagles will also play San Diego State (Sep. 3) and Saint Mary's College (Sep. 10) on their home pitch.
Following the non-conference matchups, EWU begins conference play against Idaho State on Sep. 21. Their home conference opener has Eastern playing host to Montana on Sep. 28. The Eagles close out the season with three-straight home games, including the defending conference champions and preseason No. 1, Northern Arizona, on Oct. 20. The team will celebrate senior day on Oct. 22 against Northern Colorado.
EWU was picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky Conference's preseason coaches' poll. They went 5-8-5 last season, 2-2-3 in Big Sky games. The 2022 campaign was highlighted by a 1-1 draw against Oregon State in the non-conference schedule, the team's first draw in program history against a Pac-12 team. They were 5-1-2 at EWU Soccer Field.
Head coach Missy Strasburg is now in her third season leading the team and she brings back nine starters from the 2022 team, with 20 players returning overall. Of the team's 18 goals scored in 2022, 16 of them came from returners.
Morgan returns for her senior season after being named Big Sky Co-Offensive Player of the Year and earning the Co-Golden Boot Award in 2022. She scored five goals and added four assists, posting 38 shots.
Joining Morgan is fellow senior Madison Kem, who earned her fourth-straight Big Sky first team selection last year. She scored three goals, with two coming on penalty kicks, and had 15 shots (eight on net).
Terrill was also an award winner a season ago, grabbing a Big Sky honorable mention. She started all 18 of EWU's games, scoring one goal on 19 shots and registering two assists.
On the back line, Riley Arribas returns after stellar freshman season at Eastern. She started all 18 games and ranked fourth on the team with 1,230 minutes played. Another backer for the Eagles will be sophomore Lyric Baker, who made 12 starts in 18 games played, racking up 918 minutes. Kamryn Willoughby made 85 saves last season and recorded four shutouts in her freshman year.
EWU will look to qualify for the Big Sky Tournament this season for the first time since 2019, when they advanced to the conference finals.
New for the 2023-24 season, the EWU Women's Sports Pass gives fans access to over 30 Eagle Athletics events, including volleyball, soccer and women's basketball for only $5 per game! Learn more and get yours today at goeags.com/tickets or call 509-359-6056.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
