Sep. 6, 2016
Haga, Holt Lift Wildcats to Victory Over Sonoma State
The Central Washington University soccer team picked up its second win in enemy territory with a 1-0 victory over No. 24 Sonoma State. The Wildcats are now 2-0 on the season.
The Wildcats have not opened 2-0 on the road since 2006, when they defeated Evergreen State (2-0) and Northwest (2-1). Central is now 2-0 against CCAA teams, which the Wildcats have not done in their Division II tenure.
"Sonoma is, if not the best team down here, one of the best," CWU Head Coach Michael Farrand said after the game. "We dodged some bullets, Emily Holt came up big for us time and time again. The back line played fantastic, Emily Minogue who replaced Abbie Litka due to an injury was great."
Holt made nine saves throughout the course of the match. Her first save came in the eighth minute, when Sonoma midfielder Sara Van Wagoner found space in the box and blasted a shot from close range. The freshman keeper was able to parry the ball away and keep the game level at 0-0.
In the 48th minute, Jessica Haga found the back of the net. Keilin Farrand took a corner for Central and found Allie Bohnett, who played a pass to Haga in the center of the box. A quick turn by Haga and her shot evaded Allison Hadidian, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
"Haga gets the game winner in her senior season off a set piece, which we haven't done in a long time," Farrand added.
The Wildcats' back line kept the Seawolves away from the box, limiting scoring opportunities to shots at a distance.
"We closed out another game and didn't let them have the ball," Farrand noted. "We were able to control the ball at times and take the air out of the game."
The Seawolves out shot the Wildcats 16-5 overall, but Central had the edge in corners at 5-3.
"We had a hard time because they were so direct," Farrand acknowledged. "Haga's leadership out of the back is fantastic. She was our player of the match today. It wasn't the prettiest game for us, but we didn't give up on each other."
Holt earned her first clean sheet of the season. Farrand and Bohnett notched their first assists of the season.
The Wildcats are on the road again next week. They head to Nampa, Idaho to take on the Unviersity of Hawaii at Hilo on Thursday (Sept. 8) at noon and Dominican University of California on Saturday (Sept. 10) at 10 a.m.
September 6, 2016