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Washington State Soccer Recap: Cougars Lose Ground in WCC Race With Loss Against Gonzaga and Tie with Santa Clara

Washington State has played some impressive soccer over the past week, with big plays from Grayson Lynch and Reagan Kotschau, but as the season enters it's final stretch the Cougars find themselves seventh in the conference.

John Severs

Sep 9, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch performs against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch performs against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

In the past week a pair of poor results have left the Washington State soccer team in a tough position as the West Coast Conference schedule enters its final weeks. The Cougars are starting to lose ground when they need to be gaining, and a 4-3 loss to Gonzaga and 1-1 tie against Santa Clara isn't going to do enough to get them to the post season.

The match against the Bulldogs was first, kicking off last Saturday in Spokane. The first half of the game was scoreless, with neither team getting a good shot on the goal. The second half would be much different.

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The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first, with Emelia Warta finding the net in the 55th minute. It took the Cougars just a minute to respond. Megan Santa Cruz fed the ball to Reagan Kotschau from midfield, and Kotschau found Lindsey Turner in front of the goal for the equalizer.

Unfortunately for Washington State, starting at the 72nd minute mark the game was all Gonzaga. The Bulldogs scored three goals in 15 minutes to take a 4-1 lead with less than five minutes left in the game. Despite that, WSU almost pulled off the come back.

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Reese Tappan was given a Penalty Kick at 86:53, and she beat goalkeeper Michaela McCollum to get the Cougars within 2. At 88:17 Grayson Lynch found the goal, after receiving a header from Maggie Mace, getting WSU within 1. Unfortunately for the Cougs there just wasn't enough time left, and while a 4-3 loss might feel better than a 4-1 loss, it doesn't help in the standings.

Wednesday night Washington State traveled to Santa Clara to take on the 10th ranked Broncos, and the Cougars gave one of the best team's in the country a tough challenge. Washington State took the lead right away, with Grayson Lynch heading in a Reagan Kotschau corner kick in the fourth minute.

Santa Clara tied the game in the 28th minute, thanks to a goal from Marissa Vasquez, and after that the game shifted into one of the most defensive the Cougars have had this season. Also one of the most physical. The Cougars picked up 15 penalties over the course of the game, and four yellow cards, but that style of play worked, as while the Broncos only managed one shot on goal in the second half.

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On the road against a nationally ranked team, a 1-1 tie is not a bad result, but the Cougars still dropped to seventh in the WCC standings after their last pair of games. There are only three games left for Washington State in the regular season. November 2nd they'll travel to San Francisco to take on the Dons. On November 6th the Oregon State Beavers will be coming to Pullman, and on November 9th they'll close the season out at home against Pacific.

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John Severs
JOHN SEVERS

Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for Sports Illustrated, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.

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