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eou wsoc
0
Bethel (Tenn.) BU (12-6-1)
1
Winner Eastern Oregon EOU (16-2-2)
Bethel (Tenn.) BU
(12-6-1)
0
Final
1
Eastern Oregon EOU
(16-2-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bethel (Tenn.) BU 0 0 0
Eastern Oregon EOU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Yasmin Mookerdum, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

EOU Defeats Bethel 1-0 in Dramatic Finish In NAIA Opening Round

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark.- The No. 2-seeded Eastern Oregon women's soccer team of the Siloam Springs bracket faced off with Bethel University in the opening round of the NAIA Championships on Friday. In slippery conditions, the Mountaineers took down Bethel 1-0 in dramatic fashion, scoring with 1:43 left on the clock.
 
The opening round of the NAIA national tourney was nothing short of an action packed 90 minute game. Despite a scoreless 88 minutes of play, there was quality soccer being played across the park.

The last 15 minutes of play was intense from both sides, with neither giving up, battling hard for the first goal of the match.

Junior Savannah Hutchinson was in net for Eastern and made two huge saves within minutes of each other in the final minutes of the game. Hutchinson denied the Wildcats point blank with a diving save, holding the ball tightly. Minutes later she stopped a long-range attempt, tipping the shot onto the crossbar and then safely catching it. She finished the game with three saves and set up the Mounties for a dramatic finish.
 
In the dying minutes, it looked like the match was destined for overtime with the score still deadlocked at 0-0. However First Team all-conference selection Josee Bassett made one last surge from the defense, running the ball down the right side of the field. With 1:43 minutes remaining, Bassett sent in a looping ball to Farrington who received the ball and slipped it between the keeper's legs, giving the Mountaineers the late lead and eventually the victory.
 
In the first period of play both teams were hungry for the ball, finding space in the attack. Not much separating the two sides on the stat sheet.

The duo of First Team All-CCC forwards Nan Kiebert and Morgan Farrington were causing trouble for the Wildcat defense, combining for four shots in the first half.
 
Farrington almost had the opener for EOU (16-2-2) when she broke through the Bethel (12-6-1) defense, finding herself one on one with the keeper. The keeper came out, making a sliding save and denying the Mounties of the early lead.
 
The only thing preventing Bethel from scoring a couple of first half goals was the upright and the crossbar. The first chance was a long-range effort that bounced off the crossbar. The second resulted from some nice close passing by the Purple and White, ricocheting off the right post and landing dangerously in the box, but it was fortunately cleared away for EOU.
 
Like the first, the second half was even early on. After a questionable call against the Mountaineers, the Wildcats were awarded a penalty kick. With the opportunity to give her team the 1-0 lead and possibly the win, Elvira Martin stepped up to the spot for Bethel. The junior sent her kick wide left, keeping the Mounties in the game.

Farrington led both teams in shots and shots on goal with six and four respectively. She was closely followed by Bethel player Brittney Bray with five and two on frame.

With the win, the Mountaineers advance to the second game in the opening phase of the NAIA Championships, facing host team John Brown at 4 p.m. PT on Saturday.
 
For more information on Eastern Oregon women's soccer, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
 
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu
 
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