Washington State soccer (5-0-2) is the No. 25 team in the country according to the NSCAA. The school announced the program's return to the top 25 through the program's Twitter account:
Welcome back to the top 25, @WSUCougarSoccer! #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/O4YjLA4jge
— WSU Cougars (@WSUCougars) September 16, 2014
WSU hasn't lost a non-conference match since 2012, and is unbeaten in its last 13 matches. The Cougars' unbeaten streak is the second longest in the country, behind UCLA.
The Cougars spent the first weekend in September playing in the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Soccer Classic in Waipio, Hawaii. WSU's first match was against then-No. 11 Pepperdine; that match ended 0-0. A day after the Pepperdine match, the Cougars beat Hawaii 3-1 in its final match of the tournament.
Another top 25 opponent Washington State faced was (at the time) No. 17 BYU on August 25. The two squads, with the same mascot, played to a scoreless draw. Washington State's draw against the other Cougars was fueled by redshirt senior goalkeeper Gurveen Claire's nine saves.
WSU's last two match of the non-conference schedule were against two of its rivals, Gonzaga and Idaho. The Cougars traveled to Spokane, Wash. on September 12 to take on the Bulldogs. Gonzaga scored the first goal of the match, but the Cougs scored the next two goals -- one in overtime -- to keep their unbeaten streak alive. Two days later, the Cougs took on the Vandals in Moscow, Idaho. WSU scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute.
WSU's season opened with a 3-0 drubbing of the TCU Horned Frogs at the Lower Soccer Field. The three goals were scored by sophomore defender Kailiana Johnson (penalty kick), senior defender Mesa Owsley, and senior forward Jocelyn Jeffers. This match is notable because it was the first match to take place at night in Pullman, thanks to a two hour, 49 minute lightning delay.
The Cougars open up the conference portion of their schedule against Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. on Friday, September 26th.