YAKIMA — Ephrata girls soccer continued to show steady progress in Central Washington Athletic Conference play, battling top-ranked East Valley before falling 2-1 on the road Friday.

The Tigers trailed 2-0 at halftime but regrouped to outshoot the Red Devils in the second half and close the gap behind an unassisted goal from forward Paige Murray.

Head coach Gary Klepec said his players battled until the final whistle. “It was a hard-fought match and we pushed hard at the end but just couldn’t quite get our second goal,” he said.

Ephrata totaled 11 shots on goal, led by Murray with five. Sophie Molitor and Brooklynn Sieverkropp each added two, while Delanie Killinger and Skarlett Sanchez added one apiece. Goalkeeper Aiyana Valle recorded eight saves.

The effort marked a sharp turnaround from the two teams’ initial meeting last month, when Ephrata fell 8–1 to East Valley after losing its keeper Valle to a concussion.

For the season to date, Murray leads Ephrata’s offense with three goals and a team-high 17 shots on target in league play, pacing both categories for the Tigers.

East Valley (4-1 CWAC, 11-1 overall) sits at the top of the conference standings, while Ephrata (2-3 CWAC, 4-5-2 overall) ranks seventh. Despite the record, the Tigers have surrendered only one more goal in league play (7) than the first-place Red Devils (6).

Ephrata returns home Tuesday, Oct. 14, to host Toppenish (0-5) at 6 p.m., then travels to Prosser (3-2) on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a noon kickoff.