ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 1) – The Central Washington University soccer team picked up its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win of the season with a 6-2 victory over Northwest Nazarene University.  The Wildcats are now 3-5-0 on the season with a 1-2-0 record in GNAC matchups.  The Crusaders fall to 4-4-1 on the year with a 1-2-1 record in GNAC play.
 
The Wildcats got on the board early to put the Crusaders behind.  Whitney Lowe took possession as she advanced into the offensive third and placed a through ball on the ground past the Crusaders' back line that found Keilin Farrand.  Farrand's shot beat Daniele Ortiz for a 1-0 lead in the 6^th minute.
 
The Crusaders struck back in the 20^th minute.  Ashley Cook-Cox found Hannah Holm who took a shot from long range that beat Amanda White for the equalizer, 1-1.
 
Central Washington had consecutive corners in the 28^th and 36^th minutes, but both were snuffed out by Northwest Nazarene's defense.
 
Mackenzie Nolte got her first chance of the afternoon in the 37^th minute.  She fired a shot on NNU keeper Ortiz, but Ortiz was able to turn it away.
 
Two minutes later, the Crusaders picked up the go-ahead goal.  Kayla Williams took possession outside of the 18 and dribbled her way past a pair of defenders.  She took a shot that beat White low and to her right for a 2-1 NNU lead.
 
The first half closed with a 2-1 Crusader lead.
 
"In the first half we started so well," CWU Head Coach Michael Farrand said.  "Keilin's [Farrand] goal was a great way to get things going.  We gave up two soft goals and went into half down.  To come out and get the tying goal in the first five minutes showed our resilience."
 
The starting XI returned to the pitch for the Wildcats and made their presence felt almost immediately in the second half. 
 
Central Washington's attack tempo netted them a corner early in the 47^th minute.  Jessica Haga took possession of K. Farrand's corner kick and blasted a shot, but a Crusader defender blocked it.  Reilly Retz took the loose ball and put a shot on net that was stopped by Ortiz.
 
Just 5:03 into the second half the Wildcats found the equalizer.  Haga gained possession at the mid line and played the ball on the ground to Kaysha Darcy, who beat the NNU keeper with a shot that found the upper right corner.
 
The Wildcats conceded a corner in the 51^st minute that was taken by NNU forward Lexi Fesenbek.  Her corner led to a shot by Cook-Cox that missed wide left.  Just 1:40 later, the Crusaders took possession again and Nicole Nsa's shot was turned away by White.  The CWU keeper would be forced to snuff out another shot three minutes later, when Fesenbek was able to get a shot off for NNU.
 
Farrand drove into the 18 for Central Washington in the 58^th minute and was dragged down by a NNU defender.  The centre official awarded a penalty that was taken by Cassie Ripley.  Ripley's penalty went untouched into the back of the net for her second goal of the season.
 
"The game turned on its head with the PK," M. Farrand said afterward.  "The quality of the goals we scored after were fantastic.  The quality we put out there today is what we expect every time.  We picked up points when we needed points.  It says a lot about the girls and what they are capable of." 
 
Momentum swung to Central Washington after the penalty goal and the Wildcats did not look back.
 
Lowe added her third of the season in the 65^th minute, when she took a short pass from Reilly Retz and found the back of the net to give Central Washington a 4-2 advantage.
 
In the 73^rd minute the goal horn sounded again for CWU.  Nolte played a short pass to Shaina Mitchell, who played the ball behind her to Bailey Martoncik.  Martoncik struck a shot from 30 metres out that rang off the right post and ricocheted over the goal line.
 
Nolte added the Wildcats' final goal in the 88^th minute.  Lowe went up the right sideline and sent a ball into the box for Stephanie O'Hara.  O'Hara then played a ball to the left of the net near the post that Nolte gathered and beat the NNU keeper on the far post.  The Wildcats took a 6-2 lead on Nolte's first goal of the season.
 
The Wildcats set a CWU record for most goals in a conference game with six and is also tied for fourth most goals in a single game in CWU history. 
 
Six goal scorers tied the Wildcats' record for most different goal scorers in a single match.
 
Lowe finished with a goal and two assists.  Nolte added a goal and one assist.  White finished with five saves.
 
The Wildcats will be back in action on Saturday (Oct. 3) when they travel to Western Oregon for a GNAC fixture.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PST.