ELLENSBURG, WASH. (Oct. 13) – A pair of goals from Mackenzie Nolte on a wet, cold, and rainy Thursday afternoon helped give the Central Washington University soccer team its 10^th victory of the season. 
 
The 3-2 victory moves the Wildcats to 10-2-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  Saint Martin's falls to 1-11-1 and 1-7-1 in the GNAC.
 
"Give credit to Saint Martin's," CWU Head Coach Mike Farrand said afterward.  "They did a great job creating two goals and putting themselves back in the game."
 
Nolte made the first note in the score ledger early.  A sustained attack in the fifth minute from Central led to Whitney Lowe finding Molly Mortensen inside the box.  Mortenson rung a shot off the post and Nolte cashed in the rebound.
 
Hannah Frakes beat Emily Holt in the 17^th minute with a shot from the right wing, levelling the score at 1-1.
 
The Wildcats retaliated quickly.  Keilin Farrand took a corner and found Jessica Haga at the top of the box.  Haga played the ball in tight and Bailey Martoncik finished in close, putting Central up 2-1 in the 19^th minute.
 
Frakes tallied her second of the contest in the 40^th minute.  She sent a ball towards Holt from 30-yards out that cambered away and over the goal line, drawing the match even again.
 
The first half finally drew to a close after both teams had tallied twice.
 
"I felt in the first 15 minutes we were fantastic and let things ease away," Farrand noted.  "We made a couple mistakes and got punished for it.  Saint Martin's exposed a few things that we have to work on."
 
The second 45 minutes so limited chances for both sides.  Karlee Goeher had shot parried by Sara Christensen in the 52^nd minute.  The Saints' Camryn Althauser played a corner to Lauren Allison in the 55^th minute, but Allison's header went high.
 
Both teams got chances from range, but neither side could penetrate the opposition's defense in tight quarters. 
 
The 2-2 score line held until the 80^th minute.  Nolte took a through ball from Farrand and broke through the Saints' back line.  With a defender latched onto her waistband, attempting to slow the pacey midfielder down, Nolte struck a shot that beat Christensen and gave the Wildcats' a crucial lead with 10 minutes to play.
 
"The effort that Mac had on game winning goal shows her dedication," Farrand said of Nolte.  "It showed how much she wanted us to get that win."
The Wildcats rattled off 25 total shots, while holding the Saints to five. 
 
"We need to be a better as we head to Billings and it is going to be a tough test for us," Farrand finished.
 
The Wildcats are on the road Saturday (Oct. 15) against Montana State Billings.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.