ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 10) – The Central Washington University soccer team picked up its second clean sheet of the season with its 3-0 victory over Saint Martin's University. The Wildcats improve to 4-7-0 on the year with a 2-4 record in Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups. The Saints fall to 1-9-0 with a 0-6-0 record in GNAC play.
"First of all, our hearts and prayers go out to Carly Bannerman," CWU Head Coach
Michael Farrand said.
Bannerman left the game in the 36
th minute after a collision with a Wildcat defender.
"Overall, I'm happy to get the three points and a win," Farrand added. "It was an odd game in terms of play and weather. It's not quite the quality of play we expect from ourselves, but I am glad we picked up three vital points."
The Saints got a quick chance in the third minute. Hannah Frakes headed a cross towards goal, but it missed wide left.
Frakes' shot would be the only shot allowed by the Wildcats' defense in the first half. Central Washington's offense, on the other hand, shot 15 times in the opening 45 minutes of play.
The Wildcats got their first chance in the sixth minute. A shot by
Kaysha Darcy went high. Another chance in the seventh minute, by
Keilin Farrand, met the same fate.
In the eighth minute
Whitney Lowe took her first chance of the match, but a Saints' defender blocked it.
Cassie Ripley put the Wildcats on the board in the ninth minute with her fourth goal of the season. Darcy played a ball on the ground into the box for Ripley, who fired a shot past SMU keeper Chelsie Still.
Still made a pair of saves for the Saints on a pair of shots in the 15
th and 17
th minutes to keep the Wildcats to just one goal. Still finished the first half, and the match, with three saves.
The Wildcats took five corners in the first half, three by K. Farrand and two by
Lexsi Manning. The final corner of the half came in the 45
th minute of action.
Mackenzie Nolte in took Manning's corner and fired a shot that skimmed by the crossbar. Central took a 1-0 lead into half.
Sydney Williams was busy in the second half. She opened the second half by stopping three shots in the first four minutes. Williams finished with nine saves, all coming in the second half.
After taking just one shot in the first half, the Saints shot 16 times in the second. They finished with 17 shots, with nine on net. Saint Martin's back line was able to hold Central Washington to just four shots in the second, but two found the back of the net.
Darcy added a second entry on the score sheet in the 57
th minute. K. Farrand received a throw-in from
Meghan Ward. K. Farrand played the ball right back to the feet of Ward, who sent a service into the 18. Darcy scored, on the volley, to the left post.
Then in the 72
nd minute, the Wildcats struck again. Nolte played a ball into the box for Lowe, who shifted the ball to her right foot, and blasted a shot to the far post to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
The Wildcats will be back on the pitch on Thursday, Oct. 15, for a reverse fixture against GNAC rival Western Washington University. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
