Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Sept. 29) – The Central Washington University women's soccer team scored three goals in a span of 5:02 in the first half, helping the Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over Northwest Nazarene University on Thursday afternoon, extending its winning streak to three games.

Central, which won just four games a season ago, now stands with a 5-2-2 record including 4-1-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.  The Crusaders fell to 4-5-0, 2-3-0 in GNAC.

This game marked the first time since a 3-0 win over Montana State Billings on Sept. 22, 2007, that a Wildcat team has scored three first half-goals in a conference game.

The match started in rare fashion, as both teams scored a penalty-kick goal in the first 12 minutes of play, followed by an “own goal” against the Crusaders. Wildcat sophomore goalkeeper Kori Butterfield (Duvall/Cedarcrest HS) got tangled up with a Crusader attacker and was called for a foul inside the goal box, and Celina Mortensen converted the penalty kick for NNU in the ninth minute.

Just over three minutes later, CWU junior forward Carson McKole (Oak Harbor) beat NNU defender Katie Butler, who tripped McKole from behind and was also called for a foul inside the goal box. McKole scored on the PK, her fifth goal of the season, evening the score at 1-1.

Following a foul by NNU, Wildcat senior Hillary Franks (Yakima/West Valley HS) booted the free kick in near the Crusader goal, where NNU goalkeeper Tanya Zickefoose collided with a teammate, who accidentally headed the ball into their own net to give the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage at the 15:10 mark in the first half. Franks was credited with an assist, her first of the season, after launching the free kick from behind the midfield line.

The CWU offense was not finished, as they added their third and final goal of the half in the 18th minute when freshman Taylor Stanley (Mukilteo/Kamiak HS) and McKole teamed up to assist senior Amy Pate (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS), who scored her second goal of the season. McKole dribbled along the goal line, then centered the ball to a streaking Pate in front of the goal.

Central Washington outshot Northwest Nazarene by a 26-19 margin, and also had an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks. McKole led the Wildcats with eight shot attempts, followed by junior Kelsy Villegas (Graham/Graham-Kapowsin HS) and freshman Danielle Brandli (Bellevue/Interlake HS), who had six and five shots, respectively.

Up next for Central Washington is the second of five consecutive home matches, as they host Montana State University Billings on Saturday (Oct. 1) at 11 a.m. at the CWU Soccer Field.