NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene women's soccer suffered a tough defeat at home to No. 23 Western Oregon on Thursday night, falling 2-1 with all three goals coming in the last 14 minutes of action.
NNU falls to 4-9-2 overall and 3-6-2 in GNAC play, remaining in fifth in the GNAC standings with 11 points. The hopes of the fourth and final seed in the conference tournament are still alive, though, with the Nighthawks needing to win each of their final three games and Seattle Pacific to not earn more than one point in their final three matches.
The first half was very even on both sides, with WOU taking seven shots and NNU six. Both goalies had to make two saves in the opening 45 to keep it scoreless.
It wasn't until the 77
th minute that a goal was finally scored, when the Wolves capitalized on a scrum in the box after a shot went off the post.
The Nighthawks answered back right away, though, earning a corner in the 80
th minute.
Abbey Blancett took it and send a great ball in front of goal, where
Savanna Herz leapt in the air and knocked it into the back of the net for her third goal of the year.
The ball would bounce WOU's way in the end, however, as in the 87
th minute a Wolves shot deflected off the head of an NNU defender and snuck in just under the crossbar give the visitors the victory.
NNU has one final home game this season, hosting Saint Martin's for Senior Day this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on NNU Field. The Nighthawks then close out the regular season on the road next week against Central Washington and Simon Fraser.
