SEATTLE – UW women's soccer won its fifth straight match, beating Cal State Northridge 3-1 in the Huskies' first game at the Nike Portland Invitational behind two goals from Shannon Simon and one from Amanda Perez. The two are now tied for the team lead with three goals apiece this season.
“We had one to many turnovers and we weren't as mobile as we typically are,” UW head coach Lesle Gallimore said. “We finally got into a better rhythm in the second half, but it was a little bit like pulling teeth out there. It wasn't coming easily for us. A lot of that had to do with Cal State Northridge. They were defending and they were a difficult team to break down. To come out of that game with a 3-1 win – I'm really pleased. We did enough things right to get the win.”
After falling to Kentucky in the Huskies' season opener, UW came in to the match with wins over Louisville, Seattle U, Illinois and Michigan in its last four games. The loss was just the second of the season for the Matadors (5-2-0) and ended a five-game winning streak.
Perez got the scoring started in the 28th minute with a beautiful sliding finish off a cross from freshman Kelcie Hedge, her first career assist. Hedge was free down the left side and played a ball that crossed the face of the goal, where Perez slid and finished with a shot into the ceiling of the goal. The 1-0 score stood as the first half ended.
“Kelcie and I have a really good connection,” Perez said. “I had a good feel for where she was going to put that ball, and I knew someone needed to get on the end of it. She literally placed it on the goal for me, I just had to tap it in.”
The Huskies dominated the run of play in the first frame, outshooting the Matadors seven shots to two. But the Matadors came out firing to start the second half and responded with a game-tying goal in the 59th minute by Lyndsay Preston, her first of the year. Cynthia Sanchez was credited with the assist as she found herself alone down the right side and into the box. As the Huskies converged, she played a ball across the face of the goal that Preston tapped in.
“Northridge was what we expected and more,” Gallimore said. “They play a good brand of soccer and have some dangerous kids. They stuck with their game plan and punished us and we let them back in the game.”
With play favoring the Matadors early in the second half, the Huskies started dominating possession and retook the lead in the 66th minute. Simon got the ball near the top of the box, and touched into space before shooting and scoring her second goal of the year and her career to put the Huskies back up, 2-1.
“We had just given up the tying goal, so to score was really satisfying and I just knew that we had another chance to finish out the game,” Simon said. “That game was definitely a grind and they put a lot of pressure on us.”
Almost immediately, CSUN responded with a strong attack that led to a shot in front of the goal that senior goalkeeper Megan Kufeld deflected just wide to preserve the one-goal lead, easily Kufeld's biggest moment of the day.
Looking to put the game away, the Huskies were on the attack and got another scoring opportunity when sophomore forward Kimberly Keever was dribbling in the box and a CSUN defender stepped in front of her and took her down, earning a penalty kick for UW. Simon stepped up and calmly buried the penalty kick into the left corner of the net past the right-diving CSUN keeper to extend the lead to 3-1, which would stand for the final score.
“Kimby went hard at their defense and drew a foul,” Simon said. “The way she attacks and puts pressure on the back line really set up that goal. I just trying to stay calm and not overthink things, so I took a deep breath and was happy to see the ball go in.”
The Huskies finished with a 12-9 shot advantage, each keeper recording two saves. The Huskies earned three corner kicks to two for the Matadors.
“We're obviously happy we got the win and that we grinded it out until the end – I think that really shows the character of this team,” Perez said. “As a whole, we are a better team than we showed tonight. We're all a bit disappointed with how we won, which is a good thing. We are developing and improving with each game and want to play our best each time we step on the field. We're looking forward for another chance to do that on Sunday.”
The Huskies conclude their weekend in Portland with a matchup against UC Irvine on Sunday, Sep. 13, at 12 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the game via LIVE STREAM or follow the LIVE STATS online. In addition to follow the game online with live updates on Twitter.
UW faced the Anteaters in just the Huskies third game in program history in 1991, with UW winning 3-2 in double overtime. The two teams have faced off a total of six times, the most recent coming in the 2010 NCAA Tournament in the Sweet Sixteen round. The Huskies won that game 1-0 in overtime. Washington holds a record of 6-0-0 all-time against UC Irvine, with three wins coming in overtime and three shutouts.
Following the Nike Portland Invitational, the Huskies will host Portland in Seattle on Thursday, Sep. 17, at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live. UW will conclude non-conference play at Gonzaga on Sunday, Sep. 20, at 1 p.m.
For more on UW women's soccer, follow the Huskies on Facebook and on Snapchat, Periscope, Twitter and Instagram at @UW_WSoccer.
