MISSOULA, Mont. — Eastern struck first but came up just short on the road Thursday afternoon, falling 2-1 to Northern Arizona in a hard-fought Big Sky Quarterfinal matchup. The Eagles opened with energy and confidence, capitalizing early when
Audrey Schlotfeldt scored in the fourth minute off an assist from
Delani Walker to give Eastern the quick 1-0 advantage. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Lumberjacks responded with a goal just three minutes later to even the score. Northern Arizona then took the lead in the 19th minute when NAU converted from close range, a goal that ultimately stood as the difference in the contest.
"Endings are always tough." Said head coach
Missy Strasburg. "Today's outcome was certainly not what we were planning for, and we are gutted for our women who left everything on the pitch today, especially our eight seniors. This was our first recruiting class after I accepted the job here in 2021 and we asked them to come on this journey with us and change the program both and off the pitch, and they have done just that. They've continued a beautiful legacy of moving something forward, for leaving something better than they found it, and we are eternally grateful for them."
Despite trailing, Eastern continued to press and create chances throughout the match. The Eagles tallied nine total shots, including six on target, while the Lumberjacks fired 19 shots with eight on goal. Goalkeeper
Kamryn Willoughby turned in another strong performance between the posts, recording six saves to keep the match within reach. Eastern's back line absorbed consistent pressure and managed several key clearances to keep the score close, while the midfield unit worked hard to regain possession and push forward in transition.
In the second half, the Eagles maintained steady composure and controlled stretches of play but couldn't find the equalizer. Walker and
Kendall Moore each created dangerous opportunities late, forcing Northern Arizona's goalkeeper to make timely stops. While the result didn't swing in Eastern's favor, the effort reflected the team's resilience and ability to compete wire-to-wire against one of the Big Sky's top programs. With the regular season winding down, the Eagles will look to build on the positives from this performance as they continue their push toward postseason play.
The Eagles finished the season 8-7-4 overall and 4-3-1 in conference play.
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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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