LACEY, Wash. - Northwest Nazarene women's soccer erupted for four goals at Saint Martin's on Thursday, defeating the Saints 4-1 to keep their GNAC postseason hopes alive.
 
The Nighthawks improve to 6-5-6 on the season and 4-5-4 in GNAC play with one game remaining in the regular season.
 
With the win, NNU now has 16 points in the conference standings, just two back of Simon Fraser at 18 and three back of Western Oregon at 19. Now, all the Nighthawks have to do to make the postseason is defeat WOU on Saturday to reach the GNAC Tournament due to tiebreaker scenarios. If NNU wins and SFU defeats Seattle Pacific, the Nighthawks will be the four-seed. If NNU wins and SFU ties or loses to SPU, the Nighthawks will be the three-seed. However, if NNU loses or draws with WOU, they are out.
 
All eight GNAC teams will also be in action on Saturday as the final berth in the postseason tournament will likely be decided on the final day of the regular season.
 
It didn't take long for the Nighthawks to get on the board this afternoon, as Madison Grande broke through in just the seventh minute with her fifth goal of the season.
 
NNU doubled their lead in the 32^nd minute, when Makayla Roggow tallied with Grande registering the assist this time. The Nighthawks went into halftime up 2-0.
 
The visitors kept pouring it on in Lacey, as Savanna Herz scored off a feed from Carolyn Moravec in the 57^th minute. Twenty minutes later, it was Olivia Wicks who made it 4-0 off an assist from Nicole Lewis. Both goals for Herz and Wicks were their first of the year, with Wicks' also being the first of her collegiate career.
 
Saint Martin's would get on the board and avoid the shutout with a goal in the 85^th minute, but it was far too late for a comeback attempt as the Nighthawks took the 4-1 victory.
 
The four goals scored by NNU are their most this season. NNU finished with 18 shots to just seven for SMU, earning 10 corners along the way as well.
 
NNU will close out the regular season at home on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. for Senior Day against Western Oregon, vying for a win that will get them in to the GNAC Championships tournament.
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