ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University women's soccer team (2-0-1,0-0-0 GNAC) opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week with a pair of key home matchups at CWU Soccer Field. The Wildcats face #18 Simon Fraser (3-0-1,0-0-0 GNAC) on Thursday, September 25 at 1:00 p.m. as they look to extend their winning streak at home. The 'Cats continue their homestand on Saturday, September 27 as they face Western Washington (2-1-2,0-0-0 GNAC) in a rivalry matchup with kickoff at 11:00 a.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Central Washington kicked off their homestand with a 2-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium. Jaylee Reynolds and Sadie Schaefer powered the Wildcats offensively, each finding the back of the net in the first half. Reynolds opened the scoring in the 18th minute, slotting a low shot past the keeper off a sharp pass from Emma Barrett. Just before halftime, Schaefer doubled the lead in the 44th minute, rifling a left-footed strike into the top-right corner after a well-placed lead pass from Lainee Derry. The Otters cut the deficit in the 63rd minute when Gianna Foss headed home with a corner kick from Chloe Van Winkle. CWU goalkeeper Danika Galbraith came up big down the stretch, making a crucial 1v1 save to preserve the lead. She finished the match with six saves, anchoring a Wildcat defense that held firm in the second half to secure the victory.
 
SCOUTING THE RED LEAFS
The Red Leafs edged Chico State with a 1-0 victory on Thursday, Sept. 11 at University Soccer Stadium in Chico, Calif. After a scoreless first half that saw SFU outshoot the Wildcats 8-3, Kiera Scott delivered the game-winner in the 85th minute, securing her second goal of the season. The Red Leafs narrowly outshot Chico 9-8 in the second half, while goalkeeper Sarah Loewen made two key saves to preserve the clean sheet. Elyse Beaudry led SFU offensively with four shots, including three on target.

SFU followed up with a commanding 5-0 win over San Francisco State on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Cox Stadium in San Francisco. Scott opened the scoring in the 13th minute, finishing a pass from Kaiden Sherwood. The Red Leafs doubled their lead in the 34th minute, as Dariella Lopez netted her first of two goals on the day, also assisted by Sherwood. SFU outshot the Gators 7-4 in the first half. Lopez struck again in the 53rd minute, pushing the lead to 3-0. Scott added her second goal of the match six minutes later, followed by a Katelyn Magdalinski strike in the 66th minute off Sherwood's third assist of the day. San Francisco State outshot Simon Fraser 8-6 in the second half, but Loewen stood tall once again, recording seven saves en route to her second consecutive shutout.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Crimson and Black hold a 15-13-4 all-time record against the Red Leafs, with their most recent meeting resulting in a 3-1 loss on Oct. 24, 2024, in Burnaby, B.C. Central Washington has historically performed well at home against Simon Fraser, boasting a 10-4-4 record in Ellensburg. The Wildcats will look to build on their recent momentum as they return to CWU Soccer Field for the GNAC opener.
 
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Western Washington picked up two strong wins over CCAA opponents last week, led by standout performances from Morgan Manalili and Emily Holdridge.

The Vikings opened the week with a 4-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Thursday, Sept. 18. Manalili stole the show, recording a hat trick and an assist in a dominant outing. Manalili wasted no time, scoring just one minute into the match, and added her second goal in the 6th minute to give WWU an early 2-0 lead. She then turned provider in the 17th minute, assisting Holdridge to extend the lead to 3-0. The Vikings outshot the Otters 9-1 in the first half. Manalili completed her hat trick in the 50th minute with a right-footed finish from 12 yards out. Cal State Monterey Bay pulled one back in the 68th minute on a goal from Morgan Purvey, but it wasn't enough to close the gap. WWU outshot CSUMB 7-3 in the second half. Goalkeeper Ellie McGowan made two key saves to help seal the win.

WWU followed up with a 2-1 win over Cal State East Bay on Saturday, Sept. 20. Holdridge continued her strong form, opening the scoring in the 19th minute with a rifled shot off assists from Manalili and Reese Walker. The Vikings doubled their lead in the 28th minute when a CSUEB defender deflected a cross from Manalili into their own net. Although the Pioneers outshot WWU 5-3 in the first half, they couldn't convert their chances. East Bay finally broke through in the 54th minute with a goal from Mika Sayfurahman, assisted by Kella Folkerts, but the Vikings held firm down the stretch. WWU edged East Bay 5-3 in shots during the second half, and McGowan came up big again with two saves to help secure the win.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Wildcats hold a 3-38-6 all-time record against Western Washington, with their most recent meeting resulting in a 4-0 loss on Oct. 26, 2024, at Harrington Field in Bellingham, Wash. Central is 2-17-3 at home in the series and will look to turn the tide as they prepare for another tough test against the Vikings.
 
UP NEXT
Central Washington travels to Monmouth, Oregon to take on Western Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 2:00 p.m. at WOU Soccer Field. The road swing continues on Saturday, Oct. 4, as the Wildcats visit Saint Martin's in Lacey, Washington for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff at Saints Field.