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Cougs Cruise in San Diego

by wsucougars.com
Sep 2, 2021

In Case You Missed It
SAN DIEGO – Playing on the road for the first time in 2021 the Cougars (2-0-1) showed no signs of jet lag as Washington State cruised to a 3-0 win over San Diego State (1-4-0) Thursday night at the SDSU Sports Deck. From the opening whistle to the final horn the Cougars were in complete control as the attack threw a steady stream of shots at the goal while WSU defensive unit shutdown the few counter chances the Aztecs attempted to mount when they found themselves in possession of the ball. After seeing their first few chances turned away, the Cougs would break through in the 17' minute starting on an attack up the right flank by Enzi Broussard. With the defense on its heels, Sydney Studer broke loose to make a deep run to the back post striding on to the cross from Broussard and hammering a header inside the post and into the back of the net. The goal was the first of Studers' career at WSU as the two high-profile transfers connected for the first time in the Crimson and Gray. The Cougs continued their assault on goal throughout the rest of the first half and deep into the second only to find the crossbar to be unkind and an Aztecs' keeper doing just enough to keep her team within reach. However, the defensive wall for the Aztecs could only last so long as the Cougs turned the small leaks into a full on flood in the final minutes of the game thanks to the first career brace from Grayson Lynch. Again, it was Broussard who got the ball rolling for WSU as the junior fought off a group of Aztecs just inside her own defensive half to play a ball up the line to Elyse Bennett. Taking the attack up the rightside once again, Bennett outraced her defender to the endline before cutting a ball back to the center of the box to a wide open Lynch who calmly slotted her one-timer into the back of the net for her first tally of the year. Not two minutes later it was Lynch again putting the game to bed as the third-year striker took advantage of an Aztecs miscue just outside of the 18 to get a free look again at goal, popping a left-footed strike past the SDSU keeper for the game-ending goal.

Stat of the Match
The Cougs picked up their second-straight shutout, allowing just three shots on the night.

The Moments That Made The Match

Things You Need To Know

  • Washington State won its second-straight contest over the Aztecs, the last coming in 1996, and improved to 2-3 all-time in the series.
    • The two teams met in exhibition play in 2019 with the Cougs winning 5-0 in San Diego.
  • The win was the Cougs first on the road for the Cougs since defeating Colorado, 1-0 in overtime, March 27, 2021. It was the first road win in regulation since a 2-1 win over Seattle U, Feb. 7 to open the 2021 spring season.
  • The Cougars' defense gave up just three shots for the second-straight game. The Cougs have run their shutout streak to 274:06 minutes while allowing just one shot on goal in the last 180:02 minutes.
  • Sydney Studer (1) and Gryson Lynch (1, 2) became the fifth and sixth Cougars to score on the year for WSU. 
  • Studer, a 2021 all-region honoree after scoring seven goals for Oregon State, scored her first goal as a Cougar in her third match. It was her 12th career goal.
  • Lynch scored her fourth and fifth career goals with her first career brace.
  • Enzi Broussard added her second assist in as many games while 5th year Elyse Bennett picked up her first assist of the year and ninth of her career.
  • In addition to the goals the Cougs got a huge lift as well in the 28' with the return of 5th year Brianna Alger to the field. Alger's debut was her first action in 206 total days and nearly 1,243 minutes of action after she missed nearly the entire 2021 spring season after suffering a knee injury 40 minutes into what was her senior season.
  • Sydney Pulver played her 80th career game moving into a tie for 5th all-time on the Cougs games played list.

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