CHENEY, Wash. — The road trip continues. After a 1-1 road split and a win over the Kennesaw State Owls, Eastern Washington women's soccer will continue their four game road trip this weekend.
The Eagles face off against South Dakota Sunday, Aug. 25th at 11 am. Eastern will finish their road trip next Thursday, Aug. 29th at 1 pm against Southern Utah.
SOUTH DAKOTA:
South Dakota is 1-0-1 overall in the early 2024 season. In their season opener, the Coyotes recorded a 1-1 tie on the road against Northern Iowa. They picked up their first win of the season last Sunday with a 5-0 victory over Morningside University. The Coyotes finished 7-7-4 overall, and 3-4-1 in the Summit League Conference.
The Eagles are 4-1-1 all-time against South Dakota, and 15-7-4 all-time against Summit League Conference opponents. Eastern currently owns a four match unbeaten streak over the Coyotes. The two last met in Vermillion in 2019 when the Eagles won 2-1 in double overtime
LAST WEEK:
The Eagles opened the season in Alabama in a tough match against the Troy Trojans. In the 2-1 defeat, Isabelle Herting scored the first goal of the season, and her first Eagles goal with a header and an assist from Delani Walker in the closing minutes of the first half.
Eastern recorded their first win of the season in a 3-2 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls. Three different goals were scored by three different Eagles (Freeman, Arribas, and Martin). The match was called in the 82nd minute due to weather, as the Eagles secured their first win, and snapped a seven-match winless streak dating back to last season.
To start the road trip, Goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby led the team in minutes played (172), with Becca Gaido recording 170 minutes played, and Freshman Iris Mattern recording 164 minutes played, good for third most on the team.
Senior Grace Terrill led the team with six shots on goal, with Charity Freeman recording five shots over the last two games. Riley Arribas led the team with three points, and recorded one goal, one assist, and three shots with two of them on goal.
Through the first two matches, the Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference in shots taken (32), corners (16), and tied for first in goals scored (4).
PRESEASON:
The Eagles were picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky conference coaches' poll, after finishing ninth in the 2023 season. Head coach Missy Strasburg begins her fourth season leading the Eagles as the team finished with a 2-14-1 overall record last season, and 1-6-1 in conference games. Eastern returns 18 players and eight starters from last year's team, while adding 10 newcomers.
LOOKING AHEAD:
After the non-conference road slate the Eagles will be home for their home opener September 5th at EWU soccer field to host UC Davis at 4 pm. Eastern will then host five of the last six non-conference matches at EWU soccer field.
The Eagles will also open Big Sky conference play with three straight matches at home and host Portland State (Sep. 27), Sacramento State (Sep. 29), and defending Big Sky conference tournament champions Idaho (Oct. 6). The Eagles will close out the season with four out of their last five matches on the road, and hosting Senior Day against Weber State October 20th.
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.
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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