ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University women's soccer team (3-6-4, 1-6-3 GNAC) returns home this week for a pair of GNAC matchups at Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg, Washington. The Wildcats kick off their homestand on Thursday, Oct. 30, hosting Saint Martin's University (2-11-1, 1-8-1 GNAC) at 1:00 p.m. The Crimson and Black will then face #23 Western Oregon University (9-3-3, 6-2-2 GNAC) on Saturday, Nov. 1, with kickoff set for 11:00 a.m.
 

LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats opened the weekend with a 6–0 loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 23, before battling to a 2–1 loss against Montana State Billings, with both matches on the road.

Against the Falcons, CWU fell behind early as Taylor Krueger scored in the 23rd minute on an assist from Maya Parman. Just two minutes later, Kayla Wallace doubled the lead with help from Andie Buckley and Sophie Hanay. Kylie Hendry made it 3–0 in the 34th minute, finishing a cross from Ava Suarez and Jes Lizotte. In the second half, Wallace added her second goal in the 56th minute off a Krueger assist, followed by goals from Buckley (60') and Suarez (68').

Seattle Pacific outshot Central 22–15, with both teams creating opportunities, but the Wildcats were unable to convert. Goalkeeper Leighton Menge tallied three saves in the first half, while Danika Galbraith added two in relief. Ava Shiflett led CWU offensively with three shots, including one on goal, in 51 minutes of action.

In Saturday's match against Montana State Billings, Kambryn Smith put the Yellowjackets ahead in the 26th minute on an assist from Cianna Sexton, and Nyah Attaway extended the lead in the 34th minute. Cam Sheets pulled one back for the Wildcats in the 78th minute, slotting a shot into the back of the net to make it 2–1.

CWU outshot MSUB 13–9 but couldn't capitalize on several quality chances. Menge recorded five saves in goal, while Kelsey Fulton led the attack with four shots, including one on target, in 66 minutes of play.
 
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOHN HAWKS
"We look forward to the start of what will be a 3-game home stretch. This is a group who has done really well with all areas of play within the system we are building on the field…Now it's a matter of doing all areas of play really well within the 90 minutes of play! 

As we focus on Saint Martins this Thursday our goal is to put the sum of these pieces together as a complete product and show our fan base who we are becoming as individuals, a team and program! 

This group is capable and with effective execution we look to finish our conference play strong….Go Cats!"
 

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Saint Martin's is coming off a tough week at home, falling 2–0 to #11 Western Washington on Thursday, Oct. 23, and 1–0 to #19 Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Against the Vikings, SMU fell behind early when Morgan Manalili opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a well-placed shot into the back of the net. Manalili struck again in the 22nd minute to double Western Washington's lead. The Saints were outshot 16–6 and were unable to break through offensively. Goalkeeper Sam Escobar made five saves, while Brooke Streeter led the SMU attack with three shots, including one on goal, in 72 minutes of action.

In the matchup with the Red Leafs, Abbey Simpson put Simon Fraser ahead in the 16th minute on an assist from Emi MacAdam. The contest remained tightly contested throughout, as SFU held a narrow 9–8 advantage in shots. Despite generating several chances, the Saints couldn't find the equalizer. Escobar recorded two saves in 90 minutes between the posts. Eve Charles paced the Saints' offense with three shots, two on goal, while Phoebe Knellhorne added one shot on target in 79 minutes of play.
 

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Wildcats hold a 22-9-3 all-time record against Saint Martin's, with the most recent meeting ending in a 1-1 draw on October 4, 2025, in Lacey, Washington. CWU is 11-5-1 at home against the Saints and will look to build on that success Thursday afternoon.
 

SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Western Oregon is coming off a strong homestand last week, earning a 2–1 win over #19 Simon Fraser on Thursday, Oct. 23, before battling to a 0–0 draw with #11 Western Washington on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Against the Red Leafs, the Wolves struck early as Olivia Boger found the back of the net in the 2nd minute off assists from Kaitlin Taylor and Ally Beavers. Kiera Scott leveled the match for Simon Fraser in the 11th minute on an assist from Sarah Caravatta, but Alyna Slayter put Western Oregon back in front in the 27th minute, slotting a shot past the keeper with help from Beavers. Despite being outshot 16–13, the Wolves capitalized on their chances to secure the victory. Goalkeeper Bella Lopez made eight saves, including several key stops to preserve the lead. Katya Tercek led the WOU offense with four shots (three on goal) in 46 minutes of action, while Boger added three shots, all on target, in 62 minutes.

In the matchup with the Vikings, neither side managed to break through in a defensive battle that saw WWU outshoot WOU 12–2. Lopez recorded six saves to earn the clean sheet. Kylie Jones and Alyna Slayter each tallied a shot in 90 minutes of play for the Wolves.
 

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Wildcats hold a 10-21-11 all-time record against Western Oregon, with their most recent meeting resulting in a 3-0 loss on October 2, 2025, in Monmouth, Oregon. CWU is 6-9-5 at home against the Wolves and will look to turn the tables on Saturday morning.  
 

UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to action on Thursday, November 6, when they host Northwest Nazarene for Senior Day at Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg, Washington. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CWU will then close out the regular season on the road with a rivalry matchup against Western Washington on Saturday, November 8, at 1:00 p.m. at Harrington Field in Bellingham, Washington.