Cougs Host Eagles to Renew Regional Rivalry
WASHINGTON STATE (0-1-1)
vs EASTERN WASHINGTON (0-1-2)
Sunday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.
Pullman, Wash. | Lower Soccer Field
Watch Live | Pac-12 Washington (PxP: Greg Heister)
Live Stats | StatBroadcast
OPENING XI
I. WSU hosts Eastern Washington at Lower Soccer Field, Sunday at 1 p.m.
II. The Cougs have never lost to the Eagles in seven games with a 7-0-0 record
III. Last season Wazzu beat EWU, 4-0, in front of 2,243 fans...the 6th largest crowd in program history
IV. Sophomore goalkeeper Nadia Cooper picked up her first shutout of the season against Portland, notching the 8th cleansheet of her career, and pushing her into a tie for 10th in all-time WSU shutouts
V. The Cougs are outshooting opponents 35-12 through two matches this season
VI. WSU tied Portland Thursday and has not lost a home opener since 2016...a 2-1 loss in 2OT against #16 BYU...since then WSU is 3-0-3 in Pullman debuts
VII. Sophomore Aaliyah Bluett, a transfer from Oregon State, earned her first career minutes at WSU during the match against Portland
VIII. Against teams from the Inland Northwest (EWU, GU, UI) the Cougs are 44-2-1 all-time, outscoring their regional rivals 170-18 over 47 games
IX. Coach Shulenberger is 7 wins shy of tying the all-time wins record at WSU
X. Mykiaa Minniss is poised to enter WSU's top-10 in career starts...Minniss' next start will mark the 76th of her career and put her in a tie for 7th all-time
XI. Reese Tappan earned her first-career assist off a throw-in at #9 Michigan
COUGARS VS EAGLES
Thursday's home opener marks the eighth all-time meeting between the WSU and Eastern Washington soccer programs. The Cougars are undefeated against the Eagles with a 7-0-0 record. Last season WSU welcomed EWU to Lower Soccer Field, Aug. 28, defeating the Eagles 4-0 in front of 2,243 fans. Eastern's last goal against Wazzu came during the re-scheduled 2020 COVID season, notching a 4th-minute PK goal in a 4-1 loss at WSU's Indoor Practice Facility, Feb. 12, 2021.
HOME SWEET HOME
Lower Soccer Field has become something of a fan-fortress for the Cougs. In 2021, the team drew an average of 1,238 fans per match, the highest season average in program history. This season's home opener against Portland drew the fourth-largest crowd in program history with 2,408 fans in attendance.
REGIONAL DOMINANCE
Controlling the region for over three decades, the Cougs have dominated their regional rivals (Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, and Idaho) going a combined 44-2-1 while outscoring the trio 170-to-18 in those 47 games. The majority of those games have come against the Bulldogs where the Cougs are 24-1-1 all-time with a 105-to-9 goal advantage (spurred on by early 1990s offense that included the two highest scoring games in program history 15-0 (Oct. 30, 1991) and 13-0 (Sept. 15, 1990).
CONTROLLING THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Facing off against teams in their home state the Cougs have shown they control Washington as WSU holds an impressive 70-15-9 all-time record against teams from the Evergreen State. Among those teams the Cougs have dominated their biggest rivals including Gonzaga (24-1-1), Seattle U (15-2-0), and Pac-12 foe Washington (14-9-8) outscoring those three 179-50.
CAREER COUG MYKIAA MINNISS
Washington State fifth-year senior Mykiaa Minniss started her 75th career match for the Cougs in the home opener, Aug. 25 vs Portland. Minniss is one start shy of breaking into the top-10 list for career starts, excluding goalkeepers. If Minniss starts all the regular-season matches this year, she would finish as WSU's all-time career starts leader with 92, besting former teammate Sydney Pulver, who finished her career with 91 starts in Crimson & Gray.
COOPER CLOSING ON WSU RECORD BOOK
Sophomore goalkeeper Nadia Cooper is no stranger to re-writing the WSU record book, this season setting her sights on the career goalkeeping lists. Picking up her first cleansheet of the season in the home opener against Portland, Cooper earned her eighth-career shutout and pushed herself onto the WSU all-time goalkeeper shutout list (tied 10th). The Cougs' next win with Cooper in goal will move her into a tie for 10th in career wins (11).
SHULENBERGER APPROACHES HISTORIC RECORD
Shulenberger entered his eighth season at the helm of the Cougar soccer program with 81 career wins, seven shy of the all-time wins record held by former coach Matt Potter. Currently, Shulenberger could tie the record as early as WSU's match at Oregon State and break the record with an 89th win in Pullman against Colorado. Shulenberger also holds the second-best win percentage in program history. Over seven seasons, he has a .636 win percentage.
PRESEASON PRAISE
The Cougs picked up some of their highest preseason honors in program history. WSU was selected No. 19 in the TopDrawerSoccer preseason poll, matching the highest preseason ranking in team history. Wazzu was also voted No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, tying its best-ever preseason selection in a national coaches poll.
COUGS TABBED THIRD BY PAC-12 COACHES
Washington State was voted third by coaches of the Pac-12 Conference in this fall's preseason poll. The placement marks the highest selection in program history, including a pair of first-place votes for the first time.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NAME THREE TO PRESEASON WATCHLISTS
Three Cougs were named to the United Soccer Coaches Division I Players to Watch. Sophomore Nadia Cooper was named to the goalkeepers watchlist. Fifth-year seniors Mykiaa Minniss (D) and Sydney Studer (M) were also named as players to watch at their positions. Only returning student-athletes who were named to a USC All-Region team last season are eligible for the preseason watchlists.
THREE COUGS RETURN WITH ALL-REGION HONORS
A program record five Cougars were named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-Pacific Region Team. Three return for the 2022 season, including first-team honorees Nadia Cooper and Mykiaa Minniss, alongside Sydney Studer on the second team.
SISTER DUOS POWERING NCAA SOCCER
When junior Jenna Studer transferred to Pullman, she joined her sister and fifth-year senior Sydney on the Cougar roster. The duo are one of 50 sets of sisters playing on the same team in Division-I soccer this season. The Cougs also have junior Marin Whieldon with older sister Shayna serving as the team's coordinator of operations. Wazzu is one of just 9 programs in the country with two sister pairings and the only with a staff-athlete combination.
FOLLOW THE COUGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALL SEASON LONG
Get all the info, photos, and videos a Coug Fan could want by following the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @WSUCougarSoccer.