CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington pulled out a thrilling 2-1 victory over St. Thomas, capped by a late header from
Dakota Harris in the 85th minute.
Chloe Pattison struck first for the Eagles in the second half, netting her fourth goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Assists came from
Riley Arribas,
Delani Walker, and
Becca Gaido, while goalkeeper
Kamryn Willoughby tallied three saves.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with Eastern controlling much of the play and outshooting St. Thomas 7-1.
Bella Bunnage led the charge with three attempts, while
Charity Freeman added two. Both Freeman and Pattison put shots on frame, keeping the Tommies' goalkeeper busy, though the teams went into halftime scoreless.
St. Thomas opened the scoring early in the second half with a long-range strike just over Willoughby's head. The Eagles responded quickly, however, as Pattison volleyed home a set-piece pass from Arribas to even the score.
From there, Eastern pressed forward and finally broke through on another set piece, with Harris' decisive header sealing the win.
"We're winning more headers, winning more off punts, goal kicks, and second balls," said head coach
Missy Strasburg. "That's a great indicator—we're doing things the right way and earning those opportunities. I'm really happy with the response."
Strasburg also praised Harris' tenacity: "One of Koko's special gifts is that she doesn't know she's small. If you told her to pick someone her size on the playground, she'd match up with the six-foot kid. She's the epitome of having that big-dog mentality."
The Eagles return to action Sunday, Sept. 7, at 12 p.m. against Air Force.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
