It's apple season
WASHINGTON STATE (12-2-4, 6-1-3)
at Washington (6-7-4, 4-3-3) | Fri. Nov. 5 | 6 p.m. | Husky Soccer Stadium
Watch Live | Pac-12 Network (Analyst: Elise Woodward)
Live Statistics | StatBroadcast
OPENING XI
> The Cougs head to the Westside for the Boeing Apple Cup Series contest with Washington, looking to get back on track after going 0-1-2 in the last three matches in the series.
> WSU enters the week ranked #18, jumping into the top-25 for the first time since the opening week of the 2021 spring campaign.
> Last time out the Cougs proved their mettle scoring goals in the 89' in back-to-back contests in wins at Oregon and Oregon State (eventually beating the Beavers in OT).
> The Cougs look to remain unbeaten on the road in 2021 entering the week 8-0-1 away from Pullman with a 20-to-4 goal scoring advantage.
> 5th year Sydney Pulver, earned her 2nd Pac-12 DPOW after leading the Cougs to the shutout of Oregon while recording a game-winning assist and game-tying goal on the road.
> The defense has been up to the task in 2021 allowing nine goals (0.47 GAA) while posting 12 shutouts (2nd most in program history). The Cougs ranks 3rd in the nation in GAA.
> Freshman Nadia Cooper is fourth in the nation with a 0.45 GAA having conceded just six goals in 14 appearances. 5 of her 7 shutouts have come on the road.
> The offense has scored 38 goals with 10 different players recording a goal and nine different game-winners. WSU's offense ranks 5th in shots per game (20.06) and 43rd in scoring (2.11 gpg). WSU is +29 in goals scored on the year.
> Elyse Bennett leads the attack with 10 goals, 5th in the Pac-12, and 24 points. She has scored five goals in 10 Pac-12 games (2 of which were game-winners)
> The Cougs RPI jumped to 24 putting them in contention for a national seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
> 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 can finish no worse than 4th and have a chance to end the year in 2nd place which would tie the 2013 team for the highest Pac-12 finish in program history.
COUGS VS HUSKIES
The Cougs look to get back to their winning ways against the Huskies after going 0-2-1 against UW in the last three matches including a 0-0, 2OT, draw to end the 2021 Spring season in Pullman. The last two times in Seattle the Cougs have been on the wrong end of heartbreak giving up a late PK in 2019 and a goal with :18 seconds to play last season in back-to-back losses in Seattle. The two losses came after a 15-year run of dominance in the Boeing Apple Cup Series. Overall the Cougs are 14-9-8 against the Huskies all-time and 5-7-3 in Seattle.
The Huskies enter the match on fire having earned a draw against USC at home two weeks ago while sweeping the Oregon schools on the road last week. In the last five matches the Huskies offense has found its groove scoring 12 goals while defensively UW has relinquished 8.
LAST TIME OUT
A scary afternoon turned into a treat for Washington State (12-2-4, 6-1-3) as a late comeback went golden in overtime as the Cougs defeated Oregon State (11-7-0, 3-7-0), 3-2, Sunday at Paul Lorenz Field. For the second-straight match the Cougs found a clutch goal in the waning moments, netting an equalizer in the 89' before scoring the winner 10 minutes later to close out their weekend in Oregon with a pair of wins. The woman of the match for the Cougs was their sophomore striker, Margie Detrizio, as the young forward put the team on her back, scoring her first career brace while also earning the penalty that saved the day for WSU.
WSU RANKED #18
For the first time in 2021 the Cougars have pushed their way back into the top-25 coming into the final week of the regular season ranked #18 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The top-25 ranking is the first for the Cougs since week one of the 2021 spring season when WSU opened the season ranked #25.
The Cougs' all-time high in the poll came in the end of the 2019 season when WSU earned the #4 ranking after its historic run to the College Cup.
PULVER NABS HER SECOND PAC-12 DEFENSIVE POW
For the second-consecutive week the Cougars have picked up a weekly award as super senior Sydney Pulver was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. The award was the second of the season for the Coug midfielder and the fifth overall for WSU as she joined her keeper, Nadia Cooper, as a two-time weekly award winner. Pulver had previously been named the top defender Oct. 4 when she took home her first career weekly award from the Pac-12. She was instrumental in the Cougs wins setting up the game-winner at Oregon in the 89' while scoring the game-tying goal from the spot in the 89' at Oregon State.
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