CHENEY, Wash. - Failure is the greatest teacher, and EWU Soccer was a good student. The end of the 2023 season was a disappointment, few matches went the team's way, and it was clear next year was going to be different.

"Our record didn't match our ability" says junior forward Chloe Pattison. "A lot of the Big Sky felt we were a good team; we just couldn't find our results."

And found them they did.

EWU saw a record setting season with a new program record for win-improvement (+7) and ranked this season in the top half of many offensive categories across the Big Sky. They have been one of the most improved teams in the country. In many ways, it was a team effort, and it shows.

"Last year, scoring was not spread out, it was usually only a couple people, and now this year, having so many goal scorers have improved our offense a ton." Pattison, being the most improved from last season clearly aided in this massive step forward.

Pattison dominated offensively this season for the Eagles, leading the Big Sky in goals (11), shots on goal (29), and points (25). When asked about her massive step forward in production, Pattison had this to say. "I went into this year with no pressure on myself. I felt last year I felt I needed to score, and now I'm going out and playing soccer and having fun."

When asked about what prompted this change in mentality, Pattison said that the offseason was a big reason for their success.

"Fall is super quick for learning, but spring is a chance to slow things down which helped everyone." When asked about her own personal success, she said, "I was just working on shooting and my technical abilities," and that aided her.

With this success comes rewards, as Eastern heads into November participating in the Big Sky Tournament for the first time since 2019. EWU is excited, and no more than Pattison.

"It's crazy, it's been a while, and nobody on our current roster has been, so we're all excited and pumped to be there. It means a lot to the program and for all the work we put in, last season we were all disappointed in the end."

This team has proven they can tangle with the best of the Big Sky. After pulling draws against #1 Montana and #2 Idaho, the Eagles feel confident they can play deep into November soccer and prove that last year was simply just a fluke and bad luck.

"When we make it to Sunday, everyone in our way, we've tied against every single one of these teams, and I know that we can finish out and beat them." Pattison said.

This would be a grand exit for this year's senior class, with many key contributors departing at the end of the season. However, Pattison is confident that the team can step up and continue to perform and play winning soccer.

"We have a lot of Freshmen who are playing really well and can step into those positions and have been playing well this year, and having a spring offseason under them will give them the opportunities to perform well come fall."

It isn't just the freshmen who have opportunities to shine next season. Kendall Moore, who ranked eighth this year in goals (5) and third in assists (5) in the Big Sky is another key contributor with time left to play here at EWU.

Along with Pattison is Delani Walker, another junior who contributed heavily to Eastern's robust offense this season, who tied with Moore for the most Game-winning goals for EWU this season (2).

Chloe was full of praise for her fellow players and knows they will play well next year: "I think how we've bonded and the situations we've gone through, and playing minutes with each other has had a huge impact on me."

A close team bond is crucial to success, and it is clear EWU is a close unit. The results speak for themselves.

Eastern finished 4-1-3 in conference play, and had nine total wins on the season, marking only the sixth time the team has done so in program history.

Pattison and EWU Soccer travels to Missoula, Montana for their first conference tournament since 2019. They will face #6 seed Portland State (4-8-4) in the conference quarterfinals Wednesday, November 6th at 10:00 am.
 

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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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