SEATTLE, Wash. — Eastern Washington dropped a hard-fought 1-0 battle to Seattle University in their season opener. The Eagles gave everything they had, but Seattle's defense held firm to secure the win.
"We've opened this season with two opponents (our exhibition at WSU and tonight's opener at Seattle U) that we knew would challenge us in different ways," said head coach
Missy Strasburg. "We have been pleased with some aspects of our play, and have also been exposed in others."
Kamryn Willoughby made five saves, allowing just one goal, while
Bella Bunnage led the Eagles in shot attempts with three, including one on target.
Eastern's back line was the standout of the first half, delivering clutch defensive plays as Seattle pressured relentlessly. The Redhawks recorded 17 total shots, with six on goal.
Just five minutes into the match, Seattle nearly struck first with a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that hit the crossbar. Minutes later, they threatened again, but
Becca Gaido stepped up to shut it down for the Eagles. Despite earning three consecutive corner kicks, Seattle couldn't break through the Eagles' disciplined defense.
Willoughby came up big with a tip save over the bar, followed by a punch on a corner kick to keep the clean sheet intact. Eastern quickly countered, with
Charity Freeman getting the Eagles' first look at goal, though her shot sailed just over the bar. The teams entered halftime locked at 0-0.
Willoughby recorded two saves in the first half. Seattle outshot Eastern 9-2 in that span, with two of those on goal. The Redhawks also earned nine corner kicks compared to Eastern's three.
"Like all teams this time of year, we will always relentlessly pursue winning, while also embracing the necessary growth that comes with this early part of the season. We know as a team we are good on the ball, when composed enough to stay the course and confidently demonstrate that quality. And we have uncovered areas in these early competitive matches where we need to grow and execute with much more consistency if we want to be a championship team."
The second half opened with continued back-and-forth play until Seattle broke through in the 51st minute. Off a set piece from just outside the box, the Redhawks chipped the ball over the defense and connected on a header to make it 1-0.
Eastern pushed back, with Bunnage getting a shot on goal that was stopped by the Seattle keeper. Despite their efforts, the Eagles couldn't find the equalizer, and Seattle held on for the win.
Four freshmen made their EWU debuts, led by
Noelle Raczykowski, who played the full 90 minutes.
Ella Hyde logged 31 minutes,
Delaney Deckett added 21, and
Ava Hinske contributed 16. Both Hyde and Raczykowski earned starting roles.
"We have a great opportunity this Sunday to return home and respond to tonight's result, and demonstrate our commitment, competitiveness and composure on both sides of the ball."
Eastern's next matchup takes the Eagles back to Cheney, to take on Southern Utah for their home opener on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 12 p.m.
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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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