NAMPA, Idaho – Western Oregon University's soccer team scored three second half goals en route to earning a come-from-behind victory over Northwest Nazarene University, 3-2, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play Thursday at Finkbeiner Park.

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Western Oregon (6-5-3, 4-3-4 GNAC) scored back-to-back goals within a 12-minute stretch of the second half en route to earning a 2-1 lead. After an equalizer by Northwest Nazarene (4-8-3, 3-7-1 GNAC) in the 87th minute, Western Oregon netted the game-winner a mere 33 seconds later and held on to pick up its first conference win in nearly two weeks.

Northwest Nazarene got on the scoreboard first when Nicole Nsa received a pass from Sarah Blum and netted her fourth goal of the season at 28:53.

The host Crusaders would hold onto their slim one-goal lead throughout the remainder of the first half, as NNU registered five more shots (12-to-7) than Western Oregon over the opening 45 minutes of play.

Just over eight minutes into the second half, JoEllen DeLeon tied the game at 1-1 via her first goal of the season at 53:20 off a combo assist by Mariah Konyn and Vicky Cruz Rosales. The Wolves' equalizer goal started with Konyn sending a pass up the middle to Rosales, who found DeLeon on the left side before she sent a shot off the post and into the back of the net.

Twelve minutes later, Makana Pundyke scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season off an assist by DeLeon at 65:37 for a 2-1 WOU lead. DeLeon would begin the play with a free kick from 25 yards out where she found the head of Pundyke, who directed the ball off the post and into the goal.

At 82:20, NNU's Laura Seymour was whistled for a foul that resulted in a red card that left the Crusaders playing 10-on-11 for the remainder of the game.

Unfortunately for WOU, Northwest Nazarene was not hindered by the Wolves' advantage as the Crusaders scored the equalizer just under four minutes after the red card was issued. NNU's Makena Dandley took a free kick from Lexi Fesenbek and headed home her second goal of the season at 86:13 that tied the score at 2-2.

Thirty-three seconds after NNU knotted the game for the second and final time, Western Oregon got the game-winner via Savannah Bogan's second goal of the season at 86:36. Bogan's game-winner came thanks to an 18-yard shot that eluded Northwest Nazarene's goalkeeper for the game's fifth and final goal.

WOU's Amanda Rose Johnson registered a game-high eight saves en route to picking up her fifth win of the season, while NNU's Daniele Ortiz tallied five saves for the Crusaders in a losing effort.

Overall, Northwest Nazarene ended the game with a five-shot advantage (19-to-14) over Western Oregon that included a 10-to-8 difference in shots on goal. NNU would earn two more corner kicks (6-to-4) than WOU, as well as being whistled for four more fouls (12-to-8).

Western Oregon continues its season-ending, four-game road trip on Saturday, October 25, against Montana State Billings beginning at 1:00 PM (MT) at Yellowjacket Soccer Field in Billings, Montana.