Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Oct. 31) -- Central Washington sophomore Amy Pate (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS) scored one goal in each half, as the Wildcat women's soccer team stunned sixth-ranked Seattle Pacific, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats improved to 7-9-1 overall and 4-5-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, while the Falcons, the defending NCAA Division II national champions, fell to 14-3-1 overall and 7-2-1 in the GNAC.

The win snapped an eight-match losing streak in the head-to-head series with SPU and was Central's first win over the Falcons since 2001.

Pate, who entered play on Saturday with just one goal on the season, scored on the opening shot of the match to give Central an early lead. She took a pass from senior Monique Cornier (Puyallup/Emerald Ridge HS) and beat SPU keeper Maddie Dickinson in a one-on-one opportunity at the fourth minute to give the Wildcats an advantage they would never relinquish.

Just over five minutes into the second half, Pate gave Central an insurance tally off passes from Cornier and junior Kaycie Hutchins (Port Orchard/Bellarmine Prep) and beat Dickinson again to make it a 2-0 score with just under 40 minutes remaining in the match.

"Amy was able to finish off on two good scoring chances," CWU head coach Michael Farrand said. "She showed today what she is capable of doing offensively for us, and it was a great jump start for our offense."

The Wildcat defense continued to hold, and the Central offense, which finished the match with a 19-11 shot advantage including a 10-2 edge in the first half, continued to attack the Seattle Pacific defense. Sophomore Serena Tomaso (Enumclaw) picked up Central's final goal, scoring on the final of three consecutive shots after having one hit the post and the second be saved by Dickinson. Her tally at the 75th minute gave Central a three-goal advantage and kept the Wildcats in position for a shutout.

Seattle Pacific finally broke the potential shutout for senior Amber Easterbrook (Kent/Kentwood HS) in the 81st minute, as Brandi Hamre recorded her fourth goal of the season off an assist from Kelsey Jenkins. Easterbrook, who played her final collegiate home match on Saturday, still finished with five saves and her 29th career victory to extend her own CWU school record.

"Our defense played strong all day, and it was good to see girls execute like they are capable of," Farrand continued. "This is a momentous win for our program because Seattle Pacific has proven to be an excellent program with good coaching over the course of its history. We are hoping we will be able to continue with this momentum for the final two matches of the season and into next year."

Tomaso led the Wildcats with four shot attempts, including three on goal, while Pate and freshman Estelle Hage (Seattle/Mount Rainier HS) were credited with three shots each.

Hamre had four of SPU's 11 shots in the match, including half (three) of the Falcons' six tries on goal. Dickinson was credited with seven saves in a losing effort for Seattle Pacific.

Central Washington will be on the road for its final two matches of the 2009 season. The Wildcats visit Western Oregon next Wednesday (Nov. 4) and Saint Martin's next Saturday (Nov. 7).