Boise, Idaho — Competing to the last second was a reality for Eastern Washington women's soccer on Thursday night, as they fell to Boise State, 4-3. The Eagles scored two goals in the second half after falling behind by three goals in the first to show their resilience. Eastern is now 1-5 on the season.
"First, there's no doubt we need a more focused and accountable start to the match defensively than what we put out tonight. So far this year, we've done a good job absorbing the early pressure of more physical and athletic teams, like Boise St. and others," head coach
Missy Strasburg said. "The dip in that accountability put us in a really tough deficit tonight. But the gritty response from the group, the willingness to fight ourselves back into this game, was spectacular. We scored two great goals, created several more high quality chances, and stayed in a forward leaning posture for the remaining 75 minutes. We were composed, confident and intentional in ball possession. While not perfect there, we took a huge step forward as a team in an area that we've needed to vastly improve. We look forward to returning home for our match with Saint Mary's College, and for the opportunity to put all these great moments together for a complete performance against a quality WCC program."
Maddie Morgan scored two goals and Madison Kem converted a penalty kick in the 90th minute.
Boise St. had all the momentum early in the game, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes. In the 21st minute, the Broncos added its third goal for a 3-0 lead and was in control of the game.
The momentum remained with Boise St. until the 37th minute when Elisabeth Cole dribbled the ball into the top of the box. Cole found Morgan who fired a shot at the lower left corner and scored her sixth goal of the season.
Eastern trailed 3-1 going into halftime.
Morgan wasted no time when play resumed, striking for her second goal of the game in the 46th minute. The senior found the lower-left portion of the goal again for the score.
One minute later, the Broncos responded with a quick goal to give the team back a two-goal lead.
Mareonna Henderson found a great look at the goal in the 76th minute to put a shot on goal, but it was blocked.
In the final minute of the game, EWU drew a foul in the box and Kem was put into a familiar role taking the penalty kick. Kem converted and cut the lead to one goal. The penalty kick would be the final play of the game as the clock expired.
Eagle Notes
- Maddie Morgan now has seven goals on the season and 22 for her career. She is now one goal behind Jenny Chavez for third on the program's all-time goal list.
- Madison Kem scored her 11th career goal and she now moves into a three-way tie for 10th on the all-time list. Kem also converted her seventh career penalty kick. She is 7-for-10 on attempts in her career.
- Eastern drew 14 fouls, while committing five against the Broncos.
- Kamryn Willoughby made 12 saves in the game. It was her fourth career game with 10 or more saves and second this season.
- The teams were tied with five corner kicks each.
Up Next
Eastern Washington will be back at EWU Soccer Field on Sunday (Sept. 10) to host Saint Mary's College at 1 p.m.
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.
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