Box Score Nov. 5, 2015 Box Score
BURNABY, B.C. - Junior midfielder Caitlyn Jobanek and junior forward Anna DeWeirdt each scored a pair of goals, helping nationally ranked Western Washington University defeat Montana State University Billings, 4-0, Thursday in a semifinal match of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship at Terry Fox Field.
The triumph lifts WWU, ranked No.2 in the most recent NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, to 17-1-1 overall and extended its unbeaten streak to 16 matches. The Vikings face Seattle Pacific in the GNAC championship game Saturday (1 pm) in Burnaby, B.C. The winning team receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Jobanek (Springfield, OR/Thurston) opened the scoring 13 minutes into the game. A corner from the right by sophomore Emily Webster (Bellingham, WA/Sehome) was punched clear by the MSUB goalkeeper, but right to Jobanek, who scored with a looping header from eight yards out.
"We wanted to get off to a fast start," said Western coach Travis Connell. "That's really important in a playoff where the emotions are so high. We did start well, and we got the early goal."
DeWeirdt (Sammamish, WA/Skyline), who hit the crossbar with a shot in the 58th minute, made the score 2-0 four minutes after that. Gabriela Pelogi (Fr., Federal Way, WA/Bonney Lake) dribbled to the end line and cut a low pass back to DeWeirdt, who was all alone 11 yards out and finished with a first-touch strike into the left side of the net.
"We got great play off our bench," Connell said. "Anna came in, and to me, was player of the game with her energy."
Jobanek and DeWeirdt each added goals in the final four minutes to seal the victory for the Vikings, who had a 24-8 advantage in shots.
Despite the lopsided shot attempts, senior goalkeeper Ashley Haden (Brush Prairie, WA/Hockinson) had to make five saves, the toughest when she dived to tip Kari Kastelic's header around the post in the 70th minute.
The triumph sets up a fourth straight trip to the championship game for the Vikings and a third straight title matchup with Seattle Pacific, which claimed a 1-0 semifinal victory over Concordia on a goal in the 109th minute. The Falcons defeated WWU in penalty kicks the last two years.
