Women's Soccer | 10/3/2017 5:00:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 3) – The Central Washington University women's soccer team returns to action on Thursday (Oct. 5) and Saturday (Oct. 7) for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches.  The Wildcats travel to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, but are home against Western Oregon on Saturday.
 
KICK-OFF
Thursday at Northwest Nazarene – 3:00 p.m. PT
Saturday vs Western Oregon – 11:00 a.m. PT
 
QUOTABLES
"Mary continues to do a great job with NNU soccer," CWU Head Coach Michael Farrand said.  "The template is there for her to win and they have had a good start to the year.  They play hard for Mary.  Any game there is a tough game."
 
"Any game for us is a must-win," Farrand added.  "For us, we need to go get it done."
 
"I think every game we play could be a turning point," Farrand noted.  "We played a great second half at Saint Martin's.  Every game we need max points.  We need to do what we do well on offense.  We need to find a way to match what our goals are and get results on the way out."
 
"We have to go through both the back end and top end of the conference," Farrand said.  "If we want to control our destiny, we have to win.  So we need to concentrate on who we are and  go get the results we need."
 
SCOUTING NORTHWEST NAZARENE
The Crusaders sit at 6-4-0 overall for the 2017 campaign, including a mark of 3-2-0 in GNAC matches.
 
Leading the Crusaders' offense is Rikki Myers with a team high four goals.  Madi Taylor leads the Wolves with nine points (3G-3A-9P).  Mabinty Kanu and Emily Wilkins have also found the back of the net three times.
 
Daniele Ortiz has started eight of the Wolves' 10 games in goal this year.  She has posted a goals against average of 1.00, while making 28 saves.  Western Oregon has allowed 10 goals on the year.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN OREGON
The Wolves are 1-7-1 on the season and 0-4-1 in GNAC play.  They've scored seven goals on the season, while allowing 24. 
 
Alyssa Tomasini leads WOU goals, with two, and points with five.  Kalli Brundage, Meli Cortez, Kennedy Clay, Dana Jacobs, and Amber Whitmore have all scored one goal.
 
Caitlin Kastelic has handled the keeper duties for the Wolves.  She holds a goals against average of 2.52, while making 49 saves, and holding one clean sheet.
 
The Wolves are 1-2-0 away from home.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Senior Mackenzie Nolte is now three goals away from the career record and needs just four points for the career high in total points.  She also needs just one game-winning goal to claim the most game-winners in CWU history.
  
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats drew to Saint Martin's University in a 1-1 battle.  Sophia Keenan scored her third goal of the season, while Kelsey Bechtholdt earned her first assist.

RECENT HISTORY
The Wildcats played NNU only once in 2016 and handed the Crusaders a 2-0 loss.  Nolte picked up a pair of assists on goals from Bailey Martoncik and Kennedy Anson.  In 2015, the Wildcats swept the season series 2-0, with a 6-2 victory and a 2-1 win.  Central Washington has not lost to NNU since 2010.
 
The Wildcats swept through the season series against Western Oregon in 2016, picking up 4-1 and 3-1 victories.  Molly Edvalds, KK Wallace, and Nolte all scored against the Wolves.  Central's last lost against Western Oregon came in 2015 in Monmouth.  The Wildcats haven't lost to Western Oregon at home since 2013.