ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University women's soccer team (2-0-1, 0-0-0 GNAC) battled to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay (1-2-2, 0-0-0 CCAA) on Saturday afternoon, with Jaylee Reynolds and Sadie Schaefer each netting a goal to lead the Wildcats.
 
FIRST HALF
The Wildcats came out strong, getting on the board early as Jaylee Reynolds found the back of the net in the 18th minute off a well-placed pass from Emma Barrett. CWU continued to control the tempo throughout the first half and doubled their lead just before the break. Sadie Schaefer fired in a left-footed strike from the edge of the box, set up by a sharp assist from Lainee Derry. The Crimson and Black outshot the Otters 11-4 and generated several dangerous scoring chances. Cal State Monterey Bay goalkeeper Willow Baltazar was called upon to make four key saves to keep the Otters within striking distance.
 
SECOND HALF
Monterey Bay came out of halftime with renewed energy, making key adjustments and generating more attacking opportunities. The Otters pulled one back in the 63rd minute when Gianna Foss headed home a corner from Chloe Van Winkle, placing it into the top right corner. Just moments later, Wildcat goalkeeper Danika Galbraith came up with a critical 1v1 save to preserve the lead. Galbraith finished the match with six crucial saves, anchoring the defense and helping CWU maintain its advantage. In the 87th minute, Morgan Purvey nearly equalized for the Otters, striking the crossbar with a powerful effort. Despite being outshot 11-6 in the second half, the Wildcats' defense held firm to secure the win.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOHN HAWKS
"Winning is hard; to see this group close today's match out with three points was impressive. Our group executed our game plan really well in the first half and had the run of play!

Testament to Laura and the program she's built at Monterey Bay as they made some subtle adjustments that we struggled to navigate, giving them the run of play for large segments in the second forty-five!

A collective, gritty effort by our group, and a pivotal 1v1 save by Danika later in the match proved to be enough to secure the W…We're really looking forward to setting our sights on Simon Fraser next Thursday and competing in GNAC play…. Go Cats!"
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats continue their homestand this week, hosting #18 Simon Fraser on Thursday, September 25 at 1:00 p.m., followed by a rivalry matchup against Western Washington on Saturday, September 27 at 11:00 a.m. Both matches will take place at the CWU Soccer Field. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the Crimson and Black.