ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University women's soccer team (3-3-3, 1-3-2 GNAC) is back on the road this week for a pair of GNAC matchups. The Wildcats open the trip on Thursday, Oct. 16, taking on #19 Simon Fraser University (8-0-2, 5-0-1 GNAC) at SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field in Burnaby, British Columbia. They'll then head to Nampa, Idaho, for a Saturday morning clash against Northwest Nazarene University (3-6-1, 2-3-1 GNAC), with kickoff set for 11:30 a.m. at NNU Soccer & Lacrosse Field.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Crimson & Black opened the weekend with a dominant 3-0 shutout over Montana State Billings on Thursday, Oct. 9. Emma Barrett struck early, finding the bottom right corner in the 2nd minute off an assist from Casey Park. Just three minutes later, Jaylee Reynolds doubled the lead with a composed finish past the keeper. In the 73rd minute, Sadie Schaefer sealed the win, converting a penalty kick to make it 3-0. Despite being outshot 14-13, the Wildcats made their chances count, while the Yellowjackets were unable to break through. Goalkeeper Danika Galbraith earned the clean sheet with nine saves. Barrett led the offensive effort with four shots, including one on target, in 60 minutes of play.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Central Washington hosted Seattle Pacific in a hard-fought contest that ended in a 1-0 defeat. The Falcons netted the lone goal in the 84th minute, courtesy of Kayla Wallace. SPU held an 18-7 edge in shots, but CWU's defense, anchored by Galbraith's 10 saves, kept the match within reach. Schaefer led the Wildcats offensively, recording two shots, one on goal, in 59 minutes.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOHN HAWKS
"As we close out the first half of GNAC league play and begin the second half of league play with our matches against SFU and NNU respectively; we'll look to build on the momentum and growth we've seen in this group and program! We look forward to the opportunity these two matches will provide us…Go Cats!"
 
SCOUTING THE RED LEAFS
Simon Fraser is coming off an impressive week, securing back-to-back home victories, a 2-1 win over Saint Martin's on Thursday, Oct. 9, followed by a commanding 4-1 victory over #12 Western Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 11.

In the win against Saint Martin's, the Red Leafs struck early as Sofia Faremo opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a driven shot, assisted by Elyse Beaudry. SFU extended the lead in the 34th minute when Abbey Simpson finished a through ball, again assisted by Beaudry. The Saints responded quickly, pulling one back in the 38th minute on a goal by Keilee Silva, assisted by Lia Lopez. Simon Fraser dominated in shots, outshooting Saint Martin's 24-3, with Katelyn Magdalinski leading the attack with five attempts and one on target in 75 minutes of action.

Simon Fraser carried that momentum into Saturday's clash with #12 Western Oregon. Sarah Caravatta opened the scoring in the 21st minute, converting an assist from Kaiden Sherwood. The Wolves equalized in the 31st minute when Cici Garcia found the net on a pass from Alyna Slayter. In the second half, the Red Leafs took control. Kiera Scott put SFU ahead in the 58th minute, finishing off a combination from Sherwood and Simpson. Just seven minutes later, Simon Fraser added a third on a team goal. Caravatta capped the performance with her second goal of the match in the 80th minute, firing a shot past the keeper to seal the 4-1 win.
 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Wildcats hold a 15-14-4 all-time record against the Red Leafs, with their most recent meeting resulting in a 1-0 loss on September 25, 2025, in Ellensburg. CWU is 5-9-0 on the road against Simon Fraser and will look to reverse that trend with an upset win on Thursday afternoon.  
 
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
Northwest Nazarene is coming off a strong home stretch, earning a 1-1 draw against Seattle Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 9, followed by a 3-1 victory over Montana State Billings on Saturday, Oct. 11.

In Thursday's match against Seattle Pacific, the Nighthawks fell behind in the 27th minute when Ashlyn Valdovinos scored for the Falcons off a pass from Nora Patterson. NNU responded late, as Kaslee Roskelley equalized in the 86th minute with a well-placed shot, assisted by Savanna Herz. Despite being outshot 19-6, the Nighthawks held firm defensively, and goalkeeper Alex Barrass made 10 crucial saves to help preserve the draw. Herz led the NNU attack with two shots and an assist in 45 minutes.

On Saturday, Northwest Nazarene overcame an early deficit to defeat Montana State Billings. The Yellowjackets struck first in the 26th minute, as Abby Thompson scored off assists from Liberty Palmer and Kennedy Craig. NNU came out strong in the second half, with Alexis Cromwell leveling the match in the 48th minute. Just two minutes later, Ellie Ritter gave the Nighthawks the lead, firing home off another assist from Herz. Cromwell then netted her second goal of the match in the 57th minute, extending the lead to 3-1. NNU outshot MSUB 18-10, and Barrass recorded four saves. Cromwell paced the Nighthawks offensively with four shots, two on target, and two goals in 59 minutes of play.
 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Wildcats hold a 26-16-1 all-time record against Northwest Nazarene, with their most recent meeting ending in a 1-0 loss on October 19, 2024, in Ellensburg. Central is 11-11-0 on the road against NNU and will aim to break the deadlock with a win on Saturday afternoon.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats' road trip continues as they head to Seattle to take on Seattle Pacific on Thursday, October 23 at 5:00 p.m. at Interbay Soccer Stadium. Central will then travel to Billings, Montana, to face Montana State Billings on Saturday, October 25, with kickoff set for 11:00 a.m. at Yellowjacket Soccer Field.