FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 9th, 2026
College Place, Wash.| The Warner Pacific University women's soccer team hit the road and in a late half comeback defeated Walla Walla University 3-2.
Walla Walla struck quickly to open the match, breaking through in the 4th minute when Vicky Giardina converted a pass from Kaitlyn Miclette to give the Wolves an early 1-0 advantage. Warner Pacific responded before halftime, equalizing in the 30th minute as
Isabelle Unger finished an assist from
Katya Tercek to tie the match at 1-1 entering the break.
This game got better in the second half. Walla Walla reclaimed the lead in the 56th minute on an unassisted goal by Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta. The Knights staying composed and understanding what needed to be done, began with a goal in the 76th minute when Tercek found the back of the net off a setup from
Mira Thornton. With the match tied coming down to the final minutes,
Bethany Villegas delivered the game-winner at 85th minute, finishing a pass from
Gema Granados to complete the 3-2 comeback victory.
Warner Pacific controlled the pace of play for much of the afternoon, outshooting Walla Walla 23-15 overall and putting 14 shots on target compared to 10 for the Wolves. The offensive pressure was turned up in the second half, where the Knights outshot Walla Walla 17-9. Both teams displayed clean, disciplined play throughout the contest, with no cautions or ejections issued to either side.
Tercek sparked the Warner Pacific attack with a standout performance, recording a game-high eight shots with six on goal, a goal, and an assist. Villegas added three shots on target and the decisive match-winner, while Unger provided critical energy off the bench with a goal in 55 minutes of action. In goal,
Addison Keegan played the full 90 minutes and turned away eight saves to earn the win.
"It wasn't our best day but this team found a way to win," head coach
Greg Pfleger said. "That kind of fight and determination will keep moving us in the right direction."
Next Up
With this big win the woman's team now sit 3-2-1 in conference and push to add more next week as they host Evergreen State College. With the game being held at the Eastside Timbers sports complex at 12 pm.
