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Washington State Soccer Recap: Cougars Pick Up a Tie and Loss in Second Week of WCC Play

The Cougars fell to a tough Pepperdine team 3-2 before pulling off a 1-1 tie against Loyola Marymount. Sophomore forward Megan Santa Cruz shined in both games, a bright spot for the team.

John Severs

Sep 7, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch gets a hug from a young Washington State Cougars fan before a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch gets a hug from a young Washington State Cougars fan before a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

After starting their WCC tenure with a win over San Diego, the Washington State soccer team struggled in their second week of conference play. On the road, the Cougars fell to Pepperdine 3-2, before escaping with a 1-1 tie against LMU.

The Waves were up first, last Wednesday in Malibu, and Pepperdine didn't take long to show why they're ranked 13th nationally. In the ninth minute Tori Waldeck got the Waves' their first goal of the game when she slipped behind the WSU defense for a crossing goal into the bottom right corner.

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It didn't take long for the Cougars to respond. In the 13th minute a shot from Megan Santa Cruz was deflected into the goal by a Pepperdine defender, tying the game 1-1. Santa Cruz was instrumental on the Cougars next goal as well, picking off a Pepperdine pass and feeding the ball to Grayson Lynch for a 2-1 WSU lead.

At the break, an upset was brewing, but the second half was all Pepperdine. After their defensive adjustments though Waves smothered the Washington State offense, allowing only one shot for the rest of the game. Pepperdine tied the game on a Penalty Kick in the 56th minute, then took the lead back with a goal from Tatum Wynalda in the 62nd.

The Cougars fought hard, but couldn't get the win in the end.

On Sunday the Cougars travelled to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount. While the Lions haven't cracked the top 25, they've played like one of the WCC's top teams this season. Despite that, it was Washington State that got on the scoreboard first, with Lindsey Turner picking up an assist from Reagan Kotschau and Megan Santa Cruz in the 13th minute.

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The Lions tied the game in the 35th minute with a goal from Kylie Dobbs, and that would be it for scoring on Sunday. The second half was bogged down by penalties that slowed the pace of the game, and both offenses struggled to find a lane of attack.

Last week's action leaves the Cougars at 4-4-4 overall, and 1-1-1 in conference play. Perfectly balanced. Tonight Washington State takes on Saint Mary's, who are 4-5-2 overall and 1-1-1 in the WCC. Then on Saturday they'll face Portland, currently 6-3-4 overall and 1-1-1 in the conference. Hopefully some ties get broken this weekend.

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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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