EPHRATA — The Lady Tigers controlled possession Saturday afternoon and came away with a 2-1 victory over Othello in CWAC play, improving their conference record to 2-0.

The win at home came just one week after the Tigers settled for a tie on the road in Othello, and lifts Ephrata into a three-way tie for first place with East Valley (Yakima) and Selah in the Central Washington Athletic Conference.

Lila Rainey put Ephrata on the board with an unassisted strike in the first half, and Paige Murray added the eventual game-winner with another unassisted goal in the second.

Before the match, Tiger coach Gary Klepec highlighted the team’s defensive improvements and their importance against Othello’s high-pressure offense.

“We’ve improved defensively, which will help us in this match,” Klepec said. “Othello puts a lot of pressure, so we can’t hold on to the ball. A key to opening up scoring is creating opportunities, moving together offensively as a unit, and being patient rather than too direct.”

While they struggled to finish at times, the Tigers dominated the attack with 21 shots on goal and six corner kicks. Klepec credited Murray, Brooklynn Sieverkropp and Alexis St. Mary as standouts on offense.

Maycee Black and Megan Truscott anchored the Tiger defense while goalkeeper Aiyana Valle turned away nine shots to preserve the win.

Ephrata, sitting at 3-2-2 overall, travels to Quincy (6-2-1) for a conference matchup Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. The Tigers return home Saturday, Oct. 4, to host Bridgeport (2-3-1) in a non-league contest with kickoff at noon.

In other CWAC action today Selah blanked Prosser 3-0 and Ellensburg topped Quincy 3-0.

MOSES LAKE — On Thursday, Ephrata’s defense held firm in a non-league matchup at Moses Lake, ending in a 0-0 tie after regulation. Because the contest was not part of league play, both teams agreed to a penalty shootout for practice purposes, with the Tigers coming out on top 4-2.

The Tigers generated just two shots on goal, one from Brooklynne Addink and one from Skarlett Sanchez. Goalkeeper Aiyana Valle kept Ephrata in it with 11 saves. Valle's diving stop on the final Moses Lake attempt sealed the shootout victory.

Klepec felt the game was a valuable defensive test for Ephrata, as the Mavericks pressured with their usual quick ball movement on turf, a different surface than the grass the Tigers are used to at home.