ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Scoring two quick second-half goals, the Northwest Nazarene women's soccer team held on for a 2-2 draw against Central Washington University on Thursday afternoon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match.
Neither team scored in the opening half, but of the halftime intermission, the Crusaders went on a shooting frenzy, taking four shots in the first 7:24 of the period and scoring twice to take a 2-0 lead. Katy McNutt registered her ninth goal of the year at the 50th minute off an assist by Hannah Mohs, with Hilary Hughes scoring just less than three minutes later after a pass by Carlee Stinton. Both goals were scored as the result of two-on-one advantages for the Crusaders against CWU keeper Amber Easterbrook.
"We played well in the overtime and we finished the game with character," commented NNU head coach Jamie Lindvall. "I felt like we played a solid game and that Central really earned the tie with some nice play in the second half." NNU moves to 7-6-2 overall and 4-5-1 GNAC, while Central is now 6-8-3 overall and 3-6-1 in league action.
Central Washington answered late in the game with a rally of the own as Ellie Eckroth and Amanda Biggs both scored in the closing minutes to help the Wildcats battle for the tie. Eckroth scored her second goal of the season at the 85th minute off a pass from Danielle Monson to cut Central's deficit in half. Then, just 107 seconds later, Biggs notched her second tally of the year to tie the game with 3:54 remaining in regulation. On the latter goal, junior Shawnna Chastain lofted a free kick towards the goal, which sophomore Michelle Mohn passed to Biggs with a header. Biggs then fired her shot past NNU keeper Amanda Peters.
In the two 10-minute overtime periods, neither team accomplished much offensively. Each team had two shot attempts in the first extra session, but none were on goal. Northwest Nazarene had both shots in the second overtime, including the only try on goal by Stinton at the 104th minute, which Easterbrook saved.
Easterbrook finished with five saves in the match, while NNU's Peters had 10.
Central out-shot the Crusaders 27-16 and held an 11-4 advantage in corner kicks.
The Crusaders will now face Western Washington University on Saturday at noon in Bellingham, Washington.
