CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington picked up its first win of the 2025 season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southern Utah. Goals from
Chloe Pattison and
Delani Walker lifted the Eagles to the win, while goalkeeper
Kamryn Willoughby stood tall with nine saves, allowing just one goal.
"Two fantastic goals in the second half really put us in control," said head coach missy Strasburg. "Credit to Kam for a huge save at 2-0—that was a momentum-shifting moment. If that goes in, it's a completely different game with confidence swinging their way. That mindset, that grit in the final minutes of a tight game, says a lot. We saw some excellent game management from our veterans—slowing things down when needed, using the clock wisely. It's within the rules, within the spirit of closing out a game, and it showed real maturity—especially from our wide players who managed those moments brilliantly."
Pattison opened the scoring in the 73rd minute, heading home a well-placed set piece from
Becca Gaido. The Eagles doubled their lead minutes later when Walker fired a rocket from outside the 18-yard box that struck the crossbar and found the back of the net. Pattison,
Iris Mattern, and Gaido were all credited with assists.
The first half was dominated by Eastern, who came out aggressive, pressing the Thunderbirds' back line and firing 11 shots—forcing four saves from the opposing keeper. Meanwhile, Willoughby made five key saves to keep the game scoreless at the break.
"A pass slightly late, a run a bit early—it led to offside calls that easily could've been goals. We created good chances but just couldn't finish, and that can create a sense of urgency or even panic. When you let a team hang around, they gain confidence. We drifted a bit from the things that made us successful early on, and that shift showed."
In the second half, the Eagles continued their offensive push, tallying nine more shots and both of their goals. Despite Southern Utah pulling one back just four minutes after Walker's strike, it wasn't enough. The Eagles held strong in the final minutes to secure the win.
"We're not thrilled about conceding late, but I'm incredibly proud of the team's response. Instead of folding, they rallied. We often huddle after goals to reset, but this time, they grabbed the ball, took it to midfield, and their body language said it all:
'Let's freaking go.'"
Eastern Washington (1-1) now heads on the road to face North Dakota on Friday, Aug. 27, at 10:30 a.m. in Grand Forks, N.D.
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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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