SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Northwest lassoed a spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference semifinals with a 2-0 win over Eastern Oregon on Tuesday.
 
"I am so proud of the effort given by this team today," said NU Head Coach Bryan Chud. "Eastern is always one of our toughest opponents, and we knew it would be a hard-fought battle to the end. We scored two good goals in the first half and defended with heart much of the second. We're enjoying the win but will quickly refocus for the semifinal tomorrow."
 
The Eagles broke out on top early with Claire Jo Diede scoring with an assist from Callie Wright in the 12^th minute.
 
Wright scored without an assist in the 32^nd minute for a 2-0 lead that stood for the rest of the half.
 
NU held the Mountaineers to one shot in the first half, which Kierstin Patefield successfully defended.
 
Eastern Oregon had a more pronounced attack in the second half, but Patefield and the NU defense was equal to the task. Patefield, who led the conference with eight shutouts in the regular season, picked up her ninth of the season with eight saves.
 
Both teams had 13 shots and eight shots on goal for the night. Diede had five shots and four shots on goal to lead NU. Wright added three shots and one shot on goal. Liv Lagerquist, Maya Lewis, and Kayla Soderstrom also had shots on goal.
 
The win puts NU opposite top-seeded Oregon Tech in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The Owls advanced with a 1-0 win over Carroll. OIT scored a 1-0 win over the Eagles in Klamath Falls during the regular season.