FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 20, 2026
La Grande, Ore. | The Warner Pacific University women's soccer team continued conference play Sunday afternoon with a road matchup against Eastern Oregon University. The Knights battled for the full 90 minutes, but an early first-half goal proved to be the difference as the Mountaineers secured a 1-0 victory.
Eastern Oregon broke through in the 19th minute when Samantha Jones found the back of the net off a pass from Calie Hitt, giving the Mountaineers an early 1-0 advantage.
Warner Pacific responded with a strong defensive effort throughout the remainder of the opening half to keep the match within reach. Knights goalkeeper Evelyn Montiel Silva recorded three first-half saves, helping WPU enter halftime trailing by just one goal. The Knights generated two shots in the opening 45 minutes, while Eastern Oregon recorded 11 attempts.
The Knights increased their offensive pressure after halftime, generating five shots over the final 45 minutes and earning a pair of corner kicks as they searched for the equalizer. Kasia Lopez led the Warner Pacific attack with three shots on the afternoon, placing two on goal.
Defensively, Warner Pacific continued to keep the Knights within striking distance. The WPU back line held Eastern Oregon scoreless throughout the entire second half, while Montiel Silva added four more saves to finish the match with seven total saves.
Warner Pacific continued battling through the final whistle but was unable to find the equalizer against Eastern Oregon goalkeeper Elysa Morse. The Mountaineers finished the match with 22 shots, including eight on goal, while the Knights recorded seven total attempts with three on target.
Eastern Oregon also held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. The physical conference matchup saw 11 fouls called against the Mountaineers and five against Warner Pacific, with neither team receiving a card.
Following the match, Warner Pacific head coach Greg Pfleger praised his team's resilience and effort despite the difficult result.
"This was a tough loss and I truly believe our team deserved at least a tie. The way these women continue to battle, show resilience, and give everything they have never ceases to amaze me. We will learn from this and keep moving forward together," Pfleger said.
Next Up
The Knights will look to get back on track next week when they travel to Great Falls, Montana, for another conference matchup against the University of Providence. The match will be played at Argo Field, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. Pacific Time.
