Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Sept. 4) -- Senior Kelsy Villegas (Graham/Graham-Kapowsin HS) scored her second goal in as many matches, finding the back of the net at the 71st minute, but the Central Washington University women's soccer team dug itself an early hole in a 4-1 loss to host Point Loma Nazarene University on Tuesday afternoon.

CWU finished its three-game road trip to southern California with a 0-2-1 record, tying Cal State San Bernardino 0-0 last Thursday before a 6-1 loss against 18th-ranked UC San Diego on Saturday. PLNU, in its first year as a member of the Pacific West Conference, improved to 2-1-0 on the year.

"We dug ourselves a hole right from the get-go," CWU head coach Michael Farrand lamented following Tuesday's loss. "We tried to change things up a bit (in the goal), but we are just playing poor soccer overall right now."

The change that Farrand and the Wildcats made in the goal was the insertion of redshirt freshman Amanda White (Maple Valley/Tahoma HS), whose collegiate debut was spoiled as Point Loma Nazarene scored on its first shot of the game just 59 seconds in -- a lofting shot from 25 yards away by Brooke Winklepleck. The Sea Lions made it a two-goal margin at the 16th minute, as Krista Gregory scored her first goal of the season.

White was relieved by Kayla Lipston (Federal Way/Decatur HS) at the 21st minute, and the sophomore kept it a two-goal differential for the remainder of the first half and into the second period. However, PLNU scored at the 57th minute on the first of two goals from Amanda Mitchell in the contest, making it 3-0.

Villegas, who scored the lone CWU goal in Saturday's loss at UC San Diego, then broke the shutout for the Wildcats with a nifty give-and-go play with Reilly Retz (Kent/Kentwood HS) with just over 19 minutes remaining.

"Reilly (Retz) had a strong and consistent weekend for us," Farrand said of his freshman midfielder. "She was probably our best player on this opening trip."

CWU had a better offensive effort in Tuesday's contest, nearly matching the Sea Lions in second-half shot attempts (5-4). The Wildcats had five total shots in the match, and knotted PLNU with four corner kicks apiece.

Senior Carson McKole (Oak Harbor) was the lone CWU player with more than one shot attempt in the contest, totaling two.

The Wildcats will play their 2012 home opener this Saturday (Sept. 8) at 5 p.m. versus Northwest University in their final non-conference match of the year. CWU then plays five of its first six Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches on the road.