MISSOULA, Mont. — Eastern Washington earned a 1-0 victory over Montana behind
Mia Miconi's first-half goal and a standout performance in net from
Payton Hyde. Miconi delivered the game-winner in the 32nd minute off an assist from
Jenna Howe, while Hyde turned away all 11 shots on goal she faced to secure the shutout. Eastern finished with 11 shots and five on goal, with
Ella Hyde, Miconi and
Mira Scarsella each recording two attempts.
The Eagles created several opportunities during a back-and-forth opening half.
Noelle Raczykowski registered Eastern's first attempt in the ninth minute before Scarsella had a shot blocked two minutes later.
Ella Hyde put the Eagles' first shot on frame in the 14th minute, while
Maya Bossenbrook followed with another opportunity moments later.
Eastern broke through in the 32nd minute. Howe put an attempt on goal before Miconi capitalized moments later, finding the bottom-left corner to put the Eagles in front, 1-0. The assist was the first of Howe's collegiate career.
"Mia's goal, off
Jenna Howe's first college assist, was massive for the team, as well as for her individually," head coach
Missy Strasburg said. "It was a perfect demonstration of what it takes to win."
Montana increased the pressure late in the opening half, but
Payton Hyde kept the Eagles in front. Hyde made eight saves before halftime, including four over the final five minutes as Eastern weathered a late push to carry its 1-0 advantage into the break.
The Eagles continued to search for an insurance goal after halftime. Scarsella forced a save in the 52nd minute before Miconi had an attempt blocked and
Ella Hyde followed with another opportunity. Montana continued to push for the equalizer, but
Payton Hyde added saves in the 54th and 68th minutes to maintain Eastern's advantage.
Eastern's defense remained composed down the stretch as Montana generated more pressure.
Payton Hyde came up with another stop in the 81st minute before
Riley Roesch put a shot on frame for the Eagles in the 84th. Eastern then closed out the final minutes to preserve the clean sheet and secure the 1-0 victory.
"It was great to see Payton's response today, coming off a couple challenging performances," Strasburg said. "A real sign of her competitiveness and commitment to this team. She did an excellent job making saves look routine by being in good starting positions, and was incredibly brave today when she needed to come hard for balls in the box and on the feet of Montana attackers."
Strasburg also credited the defensive effort in front of Hyde, highlighting the organization of Eastern's back four and midfield, led by
Iris Mattern.
"We anticipated the Griz banging balls on top of us all day, and defensively the back four and midfield lines, led by a very vocal
Iris Mattern today, did an excellent job staying organized and keeping a hard-running and pressing Montana off the board," Strasburg said.
Up Next
The Eagles head to Portland to take on Portland State in their final road game of the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.
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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