College Soccer Saturday, anyone?

Good morning, Coug fans! Tomorrow is another important day for your Washington State soccer team, and I figured, why waste a day not being excited about it?!

Tomorrow, WSU takes on their regional rival Eastern Washington at 6 p.m. PT. Let’s take a look at what that might look like.

As for the Eagles, their first game against Gonzaga did not offer great results, with a devastating loss of 0-4. Then, at their home opener, Arkansas State (sounding familiar?) kept them in their place with a 0-1 loss. While the Cougs had an amazing 39 shots and 11 shots on goal against the Red Wolves, the same cannot be said for EWU. They managed only 3 shots, 1 on goal, while ASU handled business with 16 shots, 8 on goal.

Once again we might be sensing a bit of a theme as the EWU goalie saved 7 of those shots on goal. Kelsee Winston, the senior goalie from Pasco Washington, has her career best against our very own Washington State Cougars — way back in February, where she managed 13 saves. She is a familiar name for the Cougs, and I’m hopeful that the lesson we learned last week will sink in about being wary of talented goal keepers.

Speaking of last year, the Cougs opened against EWU and secured the win 4-1. We have a 6-0-0 over the Eagles. Familiar names Grayson Lynch and Elyse Bennett both scored, so I’m sure they’re eager for a repeat performance.

While we did see dynamic energy from Lynch and Bennett, I’m expecting Alyssa Gray and Sydney Pulver will show up yet again as well. Along with WSU legend Mykiaa Minniss, obviously.

Head coach Todd Schulenberger mentioned in his post game interview after the tie against Arkansas State last week that positivity is key during this next game — he remarked about how our Cougs kept their foot on the gas, but were ultimately out-performed by one of the best goal keepers in the country. As for this game tomorrow? He remains optimistic. Watch the interview below if you’d like!

I hope you’re as excited as I am for tomorrows game! Football season is not to be ignored, and I am excited about that as well, but I hope you find it in your hearts to continue to show soccer some love- especially after last week’s record breaking attendance! Go Cougs!

LINKS

Lingering questions remain for Cougs | Sports | dnews.com
To nobody’s surprise, a three-man quandary at quarterback drew much of the attention during Washington State’s preseason football camp.

Volleyball Begins Fall at South Carolina - Washington State University Athletics
Cougs will face both South Carolina and No. 9 Pittsburgh during the weekend.

Expectations rise for ascending WSU volleyball program | The Spokesman-Review
Washington State has never been ranked higher in the Pac-12 preseason volleyball poll (fifth) or the AVCA preseason rankings (No. 18). The Cougars have three preseason All-Pac-12 selections, another program first. The underdog label WSU has worn for years doesn’t seem to fit as snugly after five consecutive NCAA tournaments and regular appearances in the national rankings.

Pac-12 women's volleyball season gets underway with 28 matches this weekend | Pac-12

A Grip on Sports: It's been a while, but we finally get to watch college football with fans in the stands again | The Spokesman-Review
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Another Friday, another weekend. A different sort of weekend. A weekend with college football. Not a lot, mind you, but college football nonetheless.