CHENEY, Wash. — Big Sky conference play has begun, as Eastern Washington (5-4-2) takes the 1-1 draw with Portland State (2-5-2) in the conference opener. The Eagles now move to 10-12-4 all-time in Big Sky openers, and are 7-5-2 when opening conference play at home.
"I don't want to say that there is not a relaxed nature to non-conference play. I think we went into those games trying to mentally frame our position in those games with the players. They have done a great job with that. These are must win games, as you get into this portion of the season, with a very small conference of nine teams, points matter. I can say we have been on the other side of tiebreakers in my three years here in terms of qualifying for the conference tournament," head coach Missy Strasburg said. "Anytime you have the ability to put three points in your bag and walk away, you want that. Especially at home, I think we have tough finishes scheduling wise. We need max points at home, and it was not for the lack of effort today. The mindset and the sharpest of the mentality of competing without it also creating or exposing stress is important. I thought we managed that pretty decently today."
This was the fifth time the Eagles have opened up Big Sky play against the Vikings, and move to 1-3-1 in those matches. The two teams met for their 31st overall meeting, with EWU moving to 14-13-4 overall, and 10-3-3 at home against PSU. This is the second straight tie at home for the Eagles against the Vikings, as Eastern tied Portland State 1-1 in 2022.
Match Summary:
It was a scoreless first half for the Eagles, but Pattison would provide some offense, recording four shots, and three of them on goal. Goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby in her 11th start of the season would record two saves in the half. In the 36th minute off an error pass, a Viking player would attack the box. Willoughby was able to save it between her legs and keep the match knotted up 0-0.
Eastern would dominate the field of possession in the first half (57%-43%). It was a faster start then the previous matches, as the Eagles recorded five shots in the first 30 minutes. Eastern would be held without a goal in the first half for the first time this season. The Eagles have yet to trail at the half in all 11 matches and have been tied at the half six times this season.
In the second half, the Eagles would start fast with shots on goal from Pattison and Herting in the 46th minute. Eastern would record four shots in the first 10 minutes, but would not be able to break through and put the ball into the back of the net. The Eagles would match their first half shots with eight in the first 20 minutes.
Later in the second half, the Vikings would try to make a push of their own. In the 76th minute a hand ball would be called in the box, and would result in a penalty kick. Kendall Moore took the penalty kick, and sank it in the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead.
The Vikings would respond however two minutes later with a strike of their own as they would record a goal in the 79th minute to tie the match 1-1. The Eagles would record five more shots in the final 11 minutes, but were unable to take the lead as the match would end in a 1-1 tie.
"It was about 10 minutes in the second half, we just did not have a hold of it. In our game, there are momentum shifts. And sometimes it is fatigue or stress, and teams putting you under stress. Portland State put it into another gear there for about 15 minutes in the second half," Strasburg said. "We felt like we had control for a good portion of that game, and felt in control. There was not a moment in that game where we did not feel confident. The consistency of energy and sharpness is incredibly important for 90 minutes."
There were 32 shots taken from both teams combined in the second half. The Eagles held the shot on goal advantage 13- 6, as Pattison and Moore combined for 13 shots, with 9 of them on goal in the match. The Eagles remain perfect with penalty kicks (5-5), and are tied for first in the nation in penalty kicks this season.
"We had a lot of good chances. We said that in the post game. We have been so prolific, and a high percentage scoring team with opportunities. We create good chances, and we score good goals," Strasburg said. "It is like hoops, sometimes your best shooters score two points and the shooting percentage is very low. I do not want to say we were due for that, but it does happen in our game. The number of times balls are cleared off the line today, and credit to Portland State for being invested in second balls. I know there was some frustration today in not being able to finish it off."
Inside the box score:
- Kendall Moore recorded her third goal of the season, and her second penalty kick goal of the season.
- Chloe Pattison recorded career highs with eight shots and six shots on goal. Pattison has recorded at least two shots in eight straight matches
- Riley Arribas recorded two shots, and has recorded at least one shot in nine matches. Arribas played a full 90 minutes for the second time this season.
- Becca Gaido leads the team in minutes played (969) , playing full 90 in the last eight matches (only has missed 13 minutes this season.)
- Iris Mattern played a full 90 minutes for the fourth straight match, and the fifth time this season. Mattern has played 65+ minutes in all 10 matches this season.
- The Eagles recorded a PK goal for the third straight match, and the fifth time this season. Four different Eagles have recorded PK goal (Pattison, Freeman, Walker, and Moore)
- Eastern recorded season highs in shots (23), and shots on goal (13)
- Six Eagles recorded at least two shots, and the team has yet to trail at the half in all 11 matches this season.
The Eagles will be back home to continue Big Sky conference play and host Sacramento State Sunday, September 29th at 1:00 pm at EWU soccer field. The match will be streaming on ESPN+.
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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