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Oregon State Women's Soccer: Beavers Open Season with 1-1 Tie Against Washington

The Beavers escape Seattle with a tie against the Huskies thanks to an incredible game from goalkeeper Mya Sanchez.
John Severs|
Sep 14, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers mascot Benny flexes during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers mascot Benny flexes during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon State went to Seattle for their season opener, and fought the Washington Huskies to a standstill, pulling off a 1-1 tie despite incredible offensive pressure from the Huskies in the closing minutes.

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The game started slowly, with each offense taking time to feel out the opposing defense. Samiah Shell started to get the Washington offense moving with a shot in the 14th minute. Shell helped keep the pressure on for Washington, and in the 31st minute got the ball to Kelsey Branson, who got the ball into the top corner of the net to put the Huskies up 1-0.

Oregon State got a few good shots off, but couldn't make much happen in the first half. Washington continued to set the pace of the game. The Huskies outshot the Beavers 6-3 in the first half, and 10-2 in the second half, but when Oregon State finally got an opportunity, they made it count.

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In the 68th minute Carly Carraher got the ball to Nathalie Lewis, who slipped between a pair of Washington defenders and got the ball past goalkeeper Tanner Ijams to tie the game 1-1. It was Oregon State's first shot of the second half.

Washington's offense reacted with ferocity after the Beaver score, playing most of the rest of the game in the Beavers' half of the field, but could not get the ball in the net despite some incredible shots. Mya Sanchez proved why she's the best goalkeeper in the West Coast Conference with several diving saves, and this leaping deflection in the 79th minute.

Washington refused to quit, keeping things tense until the final minute, but Sanchez and the Beaver defense put up a brick wall. The Huskies got one last shot after a Nathalie Lewis foul in the 89th minute, but Kelsey Branson's shot went off target, and the Beavers hung on for the tie.

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The Beavers will be back in action in a few days, hosting Weber State at Paul Lorenz Field for their first home game of the season.

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John Severs
JOHN SEVERS

Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for On SI, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.

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