ELLENSBURG, Wash./NAMPA, Idaho – Following an undefeated week at home that included a big win over nationally-ranked Seattle Pacific, the Western Oregon University women's soccer team will play at Central Washington this Thursday night at 7 p.m., before closing the trip at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. (Pacific).

WOU (2-5-1, 1-2-1 GNAC) collected four out of a possible six conference points this week after defeating #7 Seattle Pacific in overtime (1-0) and then coming back to tie Montana State Billings (1-1). The clean sheet against the Falcons was the second one this week after the Wolves defeated Humboldt State by the same 1-0 score back on Sep. 12 in Monmouth. Four times this season WOU has held opponents to one goal or less.

Lilly Nowatzke and Emily Wheeler were both named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week on Monday for their performances this past week. Nowatzke scored the golden goal against Seattle Pacific and Wheeler came away with nine saves in the two games, including the shutout win over the Falcons.

Overall on the season, WOU has five goals on 76 shots, with 34 landing on goal. Opponents have 10 goals on 106 shots, with 42 landing on goal. Opponents hold a slight 44-36 edge on corner kicks.

Piper Matson picked up the tying goal against Montana State Billings and leads the team in points with five, collecting two goals and an assist. Jada Foster is tied with Matson for the team-lead in goals with two, as she shifted to the back row this past week. Nowatzke and Chloe Smith are tied with two points each, with Nowatzke tallying a goal and Smith with two assists. Hannah Rispler adds an assist. Rispler leads the team in minutes played at 729, followed by Foster's 677 and Erika Gonzalez Moreno at 603. Smith has a team-high 21 shots, with Foster adding eight and Nowatzke with seven. In goal, Wheeler and Darien Walton have each seen time this season. Wheeler has played nearly 300 minutes in goal and is 1-0-1 with 12 saves, a 0.61 goals against average and an 85.7 save percentage. Walton also has a win in goal, along with a shutout on 20 saves and a 1.60 goals against average.

First up will be a trip to Ellensburg to face Central Washington. WOU has gone 3-3-4 over the past 10 meetings, having won the last meeting in 2019 by a 3-1 score in Monmouth. During the last meeting in Ellensburg, the teams played to a 0-0 draw.

Central Washington is 1-7 overall on the season and 0-4 in GNAC play. This past week they lost at Western Washington (6-0) and then played a tight game at Simon Fraser before falling just short (2-1). They started off the season with a 3-2 win over College of Idaho and have since lost seven straight games. This will be just their second home game of the season and the first since Sep. 18 when they hosted Point Loma.

The Wildcats have eight goals on 79 shots, with 43 landing on goal. Opponents have 29 goals on 150 shots, with 90 landing on goal. Opponents hold a 57-22 edge on corner kicks. Seven players have multiple points, led by six from Makinzie Packwood who has two goals and two assists. Stacia Conely and Casey Park add both a goal and an assist for three points. Bella Brown, Sophia Keenan, Sydney Loew and Maci Parke all have a goal this season. Paige Devine leads the team in minutes played at 630. In goal, Liz Canton has played in five games, tallying 32 saves, while Megan Fox has also played five games and has 26 saves and the one win on the year.

WOU then travels to Idaho to close the week with a Saturday afternoon game against Northwest Nazarene. The Nighthawks are 3-3-1 overall and 1-3 in GNAC play. This past week, they ended up having to forfeit their game at Simon Fraser due to COVID and other travel situations. That game doesn't count towards the overall record, but does count for both teams' record in the conference standings. They closed the week playing a tight game at Western Washington where they fell just short by a 1-0 score. NNU is 3-0 at home with their last home game coming on Sep. 23 that was a 5-0 win over Central Washington.

WOU has gone 3-4-3 over their past 10 meetings with NNU, as the Nighthawks have won the past two meetings and the teams tied the two meetings before that. The last WOU win was in 2018 in Nampa by a 1-0 score. WOU and NNU matched up during the shortened 2021 spring season that saw NNU hold on for a 2-0 win in Monmouth.

NNU has 10 goals on 92 shots, with 47 landing on goal this year. Opponents have 11 goals on 112 shots, with 53 landing on goal. NNU holds a 42-35 edge on corner kicks.

Nine players have multiple points for the Nighthawks this year led by McKenzie Buell's five points, collecting two goals and an assist. Madison Grande adds two goals. Carolyn Moravec, Matisyn Ohlson, Ashley Parton, Makayla Roggow, Sierra Sanchez and Jade Zimmer all have a goal and Magda Wronski leads the team with three assists. In goal, Alexis Montoya has started all seven games, coming away with 41 saves, a 1.20 goals against average and a 83.7 save percentage.

Live video and stats will be available for both games.

For the Central Washington game, click here for live video and click here for live stats.

For the Northwest Nazarene game, click here for live video and click here for live stats.