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ELLENSBURG (Oct. 31) -- Junior
DANIELLE BRANDLI (Bellevue/Interlake HS) tied the game with her eighth goal of the season at the 82nd minute, but the Central Washington University women's soccer team surrendered the game-winning goal just 58 seconds later in a 2-1 loss to Western Washington University on Thursday afternoon.
The loss snapped a six-match unbeaten streak for the Wildcats, who fell to 10-5-1 overall and 9-3-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Western Washington, ranked 11th nationally, clinched the GNAC regular season title and improved to 15-1-0 overall (12-1-0 GNAC).
Brandli's goal with 8:25 remaining in regulation tied the score at 1-1. She cut towards the net, taking a pass from freshman
MEGHAN WARD (Chehalis/W.F. West HS) and beating Alyssa Beauchamp for the goal, which was just the sixth goal allowed by Western Washington in 16 matches this season.
The Vikings scored the game winner with 7:27 left when Ashton Griffen sent in a corner kick, and Kristin Maris put it home to give WWU a 2-1 edge. CWU had two shot attempts the rest of the way, both of which missed wide of the net.
WWU had also scored its first goal of the match off a corner kick at the 56th minute. Griffen sent the corner kick towards the net, where Brianna Jones emerged amidst a scramble in front of the goal.
Neither team scored in a relatively even first half. Western Washington had six first-half shots to the Wildcats' four, but three of Central's tries were on goal and saved by Beauchamp.
The Wildcats finished the match with 12 total shots, including three by freshman
KARLEE GOEHNER (East Wenatchee/Eastmont HS). Sophomores
LAUREN DUTY (Black Diamond/Tahoma HS) and
CASSIE RIPLEY (Vancouver/Skyview HS) had two shots on goal each, and junior goalkeeper
KAYLA LIPSTON (Federal Way/Decatur HS) made four saves in goal for CWU.
Maris led all players with four total shots -- three on goal -- for the Vikings, who totaled 16 shot attempts as a team. Each team was whistled for 10 fouls, and WWU had a 6-3 edge in corner kicks.
Thursday's match was the final home match for two CWU seniors --
TARAH DUTY (Black Diamond/Tahoma HS) and
MORGAN WOOD (Maple Valley/Tahoma HS).
The Wildcats will travel to Seattle Pacific University for its regular-season finale on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 1 p.m. CWU will then face SPU again in the semifinal round of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament next Thursday (Nov. 7) at 4 p.m. in Tukwila.