Hoekstra, Williams lead Eagles to wins

Two All-Big Sky Conference selections from 2015 certainly validated their awards for Eastern Washington University's soccer team in the early stages of the 2016 season.

The Eagles got crucial winning goals from all-league team members Chole Williams and Savannah Hoekstra leading the way to a sweep of a pair of nonconference wins to open the season.

Hoekstra scored all three Eagle goals Aug. 22 in Eastern's 3-2 win over Utah State at the EWU Soccer Field. Three days earlier on Aug. 19, Williams scored the game-winning goal in overtime in a 1-0 victory over Grand Canyon University.

Hoekstra earned her third goal of the game in the 89th minute to give the Eagles the victory She becomes just the third player in program history to record a hat trick.

Her goal came after she dribbled inside the 18-yard box and past multiple defenders before kicking a perfect shot that landed inside the left side of the net.

"Savvy always works hard and she scores a lot of grit-goals, which she did twice today," head coach Chad Bodnar said of Hoekstra, a graduate of Spokane Valley's Central Valley High School.

Williams' goal came following a corner kick and an ensuing scramble. Williams would corral the loose ball and converted.

"(Chloe) played a lot of minutes today and she had tired legs, so credit to her for being able to finish," Bodnar said.

Following three matches at home to open the season, including a 4-1 exhibition victory over the University of British Columbia, Eastern is now on the road for its next seven contests.

EWU's first road contest is against UC Davis on Friday, Aug. 26. Eastern takes on local rival Gonzaga on Friday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. among those road matches.

Eastern will return home to face Idaho State in its Big Sky opener, Friday, Sept. 23.