HASTINGS, Neb. – An early penalty in the box setup senior Josee Bassett for a penalty kick goal as the No. 14 Eastern Oregon women's soccer team defeated No. 12 Hastings on the road on Friday in the team's season opener.
"I thought for our first game, we played well," said head coach Jacob Plocher. "It took us a little while to calm down and adjust to the speed of play, but I am happy with how we responded in the second half."
In the 25th minute, with the score 0-0, freshman Lindsay Balkenbush drew a foul in the box, bringing CCC Defender of the Year Josee Bassett to the PK line. The senior calmly buried the ball past the Hastings' goalkeeper, giving the Mountaineers the eventual winning goal.
Much of the Friday's opener was played in the midfield, as the Broncos narrowly led the shot total 8-7. Hastings also had a slim advantage in shots on goal as All-American goalkeeper Cydni Cottrell made three saves to preserve the shutout.
The Mountaineers had a few through ball opportunities that they were unable to capitalize on, but played sound defense to limit any Bronco offensive chances. Hastings had seven-corner kick, but were unable to make due on any.
Senior Nan Kiebert and sophomore Mackinley Gregus each had two shots, while freshman Erika Skindlov had the team's lone other shot on goal.
The victory adds to the Mountaineers' season opener winning streak, having won the first game of the year in each of the past three seasons. Most impressively, each game has been on the road against a top-25 opponent. EOU defeated No. 3 Vanguard in 2017, followed by a win over No. 14 Embry-Riddle in 2018 before defeating No. 12 Hastings on Friday.
The Blue and Gold remain in Nebraska over the weekend, finishing the road trip at No. 9 Midland in Fremont. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central time.
For more information on Eastern Oregon volleyball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu