Road Ready
WASHINGTON STATE
at San Diego State | Thr., Sept. 2 | 7 p.m. | SDSU Sports Deck
Watch Live | Mountain West Network
Live Statistics | StatBroadcast.com
OPENING XI
> The Cougs hit the road for the first time in 2021 as they head to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs Thursday night. The two sides haven't met int he regular season since 1996 but met in exhibition play in 2019 in a game WSU won 5-0 in San Diego.
> WSU is 17-7-2 on the road in the last four seasons including 2-3 last season in the spring.
> The Cougs dominated EWU last time out scoring a 4-0 shutout of the Eagles in front of 2,243 fans at Lower Soccer Field.
> 27 players saw action against EWU including debuts from freshmen Nadia Cooper, Macey Formanek, and Brae Cole along with transfer Isabella Weaver and junior Megan Sullivan.
> Sophomore Alyssa Gray posted the Cougs' first 5+ point game since 2019 against the Eagles netting a pair of goals to go along with one assist.
> 5th year Sydney Pulver moved into a tie for 8th all-time for games played having appeared in 79 total contests. The all-time record sits at 86.
> 5th year Elyse Bennett is on the verge of the Cougs' top-10 in goals scored with 17 career strikes, one away from a tie for 10th with Alix Rustrum (2002-05).
> WSU's offense in just two games ranks 1st in shots per game (34.00) and corners per game (13.50)
> WSU was picked 5th by the Pac-12 coaches in the preseason poll marking the third-straight year picked in the top half of the conference.
> The Cougs non-conference schedule ranks as the fifth toughest schedule among Pac-12 teams entering the year.
> Under head coach Todd Shulenberger, the Cougs have gone 27-25-5 away from home (both away and neutral sites).
COUGS VS AZTECS
The Cougs face their first road test of the season with a trip to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs on the turf Thursday night. The two teams have a brief history between them having played four times prior, however the two sides have not faced off in the new millennium with the history dating back to the inceptions of the two programs in the early 90s, the last of which came in 1996. Outside of regular competition, the most recent time the two teams met came 2019 in exhibition play when the Cougs took home a 5-0 win over the Aztecs in San Diego. In the game Elyse Bennett and MacKenzie Frimpong-Ellertson each netted one goal in the win as 12 Cougs on the current 2021 roster saw action in the contest.
Entering the week the Aztecs sit at just 1-3, however two losses have come to the top-25 including Pac-12 power Stanford last Sunday in a game the Cardinal won 6-0. Two Aztecs players have scored on the year the last coming off the foot of Denise Castro in a 2-1 loss at Saint Mary's on Aug. 26.
LAST TIME OUT
The Cougs dominated their regional rival, Eastern Washington, 4-0, the last time on the pitch, putting to rest their first game finishing woes. Sophomore Alyssa Gray was the Cougs player of the match scoring her first career brace while assisting on another goal off the bench. Sophomore Jayla Land opened her career tally sheet with a goal off the bench while senior Elyse Bennett finished off the night with her first goal of the season. Defensively, the Cougs allowed just three shots on the night with the first not coming until the 69'.
SOPHOMORE STANDOUTS
Proving their mettle amongst an array of record-setting veterans and a slew of fresh-faced newbies, the Cougars' sophomores have come out blazing in their first real full year of action, setting the pace and tone for the attack. Sophomore Alyssa Gray has been the best to start the year, posting a five-point night (2 goals, 1 assist) against Eastern Washington, the most for any Coug since all-american Morgan Weaver in 2019. Adding to Gray's impact, it was sophomores Margie Detrizio and Marin Whieldon who assisted on her two goals while Jayla Land finished off the sophomore hat-trick in the opening half against the Eagles with her first career goal on just her second career shot.
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