MONMOUTH, Ore.—TheWestern Oregon University soccer team dominated play Thursday, but it was a 90th-minute goal from Alyssa Tomasini that ended up being the difference in a 1-0 victory for the Wolves over the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets.
The WOU win represented many firsts for both teams. For the Wolves, it was their first conference and first home win of 2018, moving their overall record to 3-3-1 and their GNAC mark to 1-1. For MSUB, it was their first road loss of the season and the first time they have lost consecutive matches this year.
"Coming back off a tough loss I thought we played two good halves and we got better as the game went on," said Western Oregon head coach Steve Ancheta. "They are a good team with not a lot of breakdowns in the back so it made it hard on us. We were able to pin them in a little bit and eventually we got one."
The game went into halftime scoreless, but the tone was set early for Western Oregon's aggressive attack. The Wolves outshot the 'Jackets 7-3 in the first half including two shots from both Tomasini and Alexie Morris. The final tally gave WOU a 12-6 advantage in shots, five coming from Tomasini.
Staying locked in a 0-0 tie late into the second half, Western Oregon made one last push that swayed the outcome of the day. Defender Nikki Hoey made a deep pass to the left side of the box that found Tomasini open for the quick strike and the definitive goal. For Hoey, it is her first assist of the season and for Tomasini her second goal.
The goal left just 40 seconds on the clock for the Yellowjackets to try and force overtime. One final attempt in was cleared by the Wolves' defense to protect the win.
Goalkeeper Alex Qualls needed to make just three saves in the game, getting great protection from the Wolves' back line. It was the second shutout of the season for Qualls.
Senior Amber Whitmore provided valuable minutes off the bench, getting several looks in the box that were deflected at the last second.
"It was a total team effort for everyone from the back line through the midfield and the forwards," added Ancheta. "Our back line was particularly strong as we won the ball and made good decisions moving forward."
In a week that sees one home and one road game, the Wolves turn their attention now to Northwest Nazarene and an opponent Ancheta says will serve as a formidable test.
"We are excited to get a win, but we now turn around and play at a really good NNU team and playing in Nampa is never easy."
Western Oregon and Northwest Nazarene will kick off Saturday, Sept. 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Nampa, Idaho.
