• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

ELLENSBURG, Wash – Amy Pate scored a goal early in each half Saturday, helping Central Washington defeat sixth-ranked Seattle Pacific for the first time since 2001 with a 3-1 upset in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at CWU Soccer Field.

The Wildcats (7-9-1) snapped an eight-game losing streak against SPU, which still leads 15-2-1 in the all-time series.

The defending NCAA Division II champion Falcons (14-3-1) dropped to 7-2-1 in GNAC games, trailing league-leading Western Washington (7-1-2) by one point in the standings. They both have two games left to play.

Central improved its conference record to 4-5-1.

Pate opened the scoring at 3:16 on the first shot of the game. A pass from Monique Cornier caromed off an SPU defender and freed Pate for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Maddie Dickinson. Pate placed a shot into the lower left corner, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead they would maintain throughout the opening half.

The sophomore forward found the net again just over five minutes after halftime. Quick passes in front of the SPU goal from Cornier and Kaycie Hutchins set up Pate for an easy score at 50:07. That was her third goal of the season.

The Wildcats third goal came on a persistent effort by Serena Tomaso. She hit three consecutive, rapid-fire shots. Her first attempt bounced off the post, the second was deflected by Dickinson and the third went into the SPU goal at 74:45.

The Falcons got on the board with just under 10 minutes to play. Sophomore Kelsey Jenkins (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) delivered a pass to the left side of the goal that sophomore Brandi Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap) redirected into the netting at 80:38 for her fourth goal of the season. Hamre also tallied the Falcons' only goal in Wednesday's 1-1 tie against Western Washington.

Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) surrendered three goals for the first time in her career. The junior entered the contest having allowed just three goals in 12 games this season. She had seven saves for SPU, which was outshot for just the second time this season, 18-11.

Amber Easterbrook stopped five shots for the Wildcats.

Coming off a 2-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills (Oct. 24) and 1-1 tie with WWU (Oct. 28), the SPU women are winless in three consecutive games for the first time in seventh-year coach Chuck Sekyra's tenure. The last similar slump came when they opened the 2002 season with two losses and a tie.

SPU is still well positioned to make its seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Falcons close out the regular season with a pair of games next week. They visit Montana State Billings on Thursday, Nov. 5 before hosting Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Nov. 7 in a 1 p.m. game at Interbay Stadium.


NCAA Women's Soccer
Saturday, October 31, 2009
CWU Soccer Field/Ellensburg, Wash.

Central Washington 3, (#6) Seattle Pacific 1

Scoring -- 1, CWU, Amy Pate (Monique Cornier), 3:16. 2, CWU, Amy Pate (Monique Cornier, Kaycie Hutchins), 50:07. 3, CWU, Serena Tomaso, 74:45. 4, SPU, Brandi Hamre (Kelsey Jenkins), 80:38.

Shots – SPU 11, CWU 18.
Saves –SPU 7 (Maddie Dickinson), CWU 5 (Amber Easterbrook).
Corner kicks – SPU 5, CWU 3.
Fouls – SPU 9, CWU 24.
Offsides – SPU 0, CWU 0.
Attendance -- 234.

Records –
Seattle Pacific 14-3-1, 7-2-1 GNAC.
Central Washington 7-9-1, 4-5-1 GNAC.

Next match –
(#6) Seattle Pacific at Montana State Billings
Thursday, Nov. 5, 1:00 p.m., Billings, Mont.