LACEY, Wash. - Western Washington's early goal in the first half was enough to endure the Saints' comeback attempts in a 1-0 result on Thursday at Saints Field.
Saint Martin's stifled Western Washington for the first 25 minutes of the first half, blocking two of their first three shot attempts. However, the Vikings found the back of the net in the 26th minute which gave them the lead in the first half.
The Saints tested WWU's defense with 13 shots, four of which were on target.
Oscar Aguilar recorded two shots on the net, with the second looking to equalize the match.
Cole Mattson and
Brandon Madsen also recorded shots on target; however, none were able to find the finishing touch.
Dylan Shaw played the full 90 minutes in goal for the Saints, facing 12 shots, and recorded two saves.
"Today was one of those days where a very well organized, and run set piece was the difference," said head coach
Rob Walker. "Hats off to Western for their execution, and I am so pleased about how our back four and midfield group defended. There should never be any excuses for losing, but our field was a factor in how both teams played. However, we have a short turnaround and will need to come up with a plan when we play Concordia on Saturday".
The Saints conclude their homestand this Saturday matching up against Concordia at 3:00 PM. Live stats and video can be found at smusaints.com.