FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific women's soccer team opened the 2018 campaign on Thursday evening, settling for a 1-1 tie against Central Washington. 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: FPU 1, CWU 1 (2 OT)
Records: FPU (0-0-1), CWU (0-0-1)
Location: Ramirez Field | Fresno, Calif.
All-Time Series: 0-0-2
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QUOTABLE: 

• "CWU is always a good program, and they played us tough again tonight. We thought we had the game won before their goal in the final 30 seconds, but we battled the entire way. We did some things well and there are some things to work on, but overall, this is a good place to start." – head coach Rob Podeyn 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Defense prevailed over the first 45 minutes, and each team missed an open-net opportunity late to go into the intermission with a scoreless game intact.
• FPU found the back of the net first, striking in the game's 61st minute to take the first lead of the season. 
• The Wildcats limited the Sunbirds' subsequent offensive opportunities and were able to tie the game in the final thirty seconds. 
• Neither team had a real scoring chance in either overtime period, and both were forced to settle for a 1-1 tie. 

 
SCORING: 

• (60:59) Defender Alyssa Kincade launched a lengthy pass over the CWU back line, finding Whitney Snow near the left post for an easy header. 
• (89:32) Emily Russell stole the ball from an FPU defender, leading Makinzie Packwood to the far left post. Packwood fired to the upper left to pull the Wildcats even. 

 
STATS: 

• Fresno Pacific outshot their guests 21-16, including a 4-2 mark on frame. 
• CWU's Emily Thomson and Kelsey Becktholdt combined for three saves, while FPU's lone save was a team effort. 
• Central Washington took seven of the game's nine corner kicks. 

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Snow has scored the first goal of the year for the Sunbirds for the second straight season. 
• FPU and Central Washington have tied in both all-time meetings, combining for 12 goals along the way. 

 
UP NEXT

• Fresno Pacific returns to action on Saturday, when they take on Cal State East Bay in the first road game of the season. Opening whistle from Hayward is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. 
• "They beat us at our field last year and we took them for granted," Podeyn said. "They have a lot of speed up top and are very good within their style of play. We will need to be organized and focus on our game."