SEATTLE, Wash. – The Wildcats' conference season comes to an end following their GNAC Tournament loss to the #1 Seed Western Washington Vikings. A late penalty kick from Central's rivals gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead with ten minutes remaining in the match. The Wildcats showed great fight all match holding WWU scoreless through 80 minutes but made a mistake late that put them behind late in the match with little time to claw back. The 'Cats finish their season with a record of 6-10-4 following a very impressive season filled with high moments that the season can carry into next season to build off. This was the Wildcats' best season since 2019, when they finished the year 8-9-1.
QUOTING HEAD SOCCER COACH JOHN HAWKS:
"Two high-level teams playing at a high level for 90 minutes. When championship-level play occurs with this game, it comes down to a moment here or there. Credit to Western Washington, as they found a moment and capitalized on it, and that was the difference. With our season officially coming to a close for team 40, I couldn't be more proud of this collective. From our players, to our staff, to our awesome fan base; it has been an honor and a privilege to share in it with you all!
We will take pride with this chapter of CWU Women's Soccer and learn from the data this season provided as we shift our focus to winter and what is ahead for team 41. Our future is as bright as ever, and we will continue to utilize these seasons as building blocks for the future ... Go 'Cats!"
FIRST HALF:
The first half of the match looked very similar to the two teams' first match of the year, where the final score was 0-0 on Westerns' home turf. Like last match, the Vikings consistently put shots up in the first half, with eight of them heading Goalie
Danika Galbraith's way. Galbraith had four saves in the first half to keep the Wildcats in the game, as they were struggling to get anything going with their attack in the first half. The team only managed to get two shots off, with neither of them being on target. Due to Western's head coach, Travis Connell, receiving a red card against CWU in their final regular-season conference match, he served his suspension during this match. Leaving it up to assistant coach Jamie Arthurs to find a way to draw something up to defeat Central's head coach
John Hawks and his Wildcats.
SECOND HALF:
The second half of the match saw more of the same. Western once again attempted eight shots with six of them being on target this half. Galbraith once again put her body on the line to record another five saves, putting her at nine saves on the day. The 'Cats' attack started to show more life as they put up five shots this half, with two on target, but still could not get any of them to land in the net. The game flipped on its head, though, as with ten minutes left, Central committed a foul on Western just barely inside the penalty box. This rewarded the Vikings with a penalty kick, with Olivia Connell sneaking it past Galbraith for what was ultimately the game-winning goal. One of the 'Cats' shots was another late shot attempt from
Shannah Mellick trying to stir up some late-game heroics once again, but the Wildcats fell short with what could be their final game of the season. Capping off a great season with a strong performance against a strong opponent who has had their number for years.
