Washington State Soccer Week 3 Recap: Cougars Fall to Stanford 2-0

Despite the valiant efforts of Megan Santa Cruz and Rajanah Reed, Washington State couldn't pull off a big upset.

John Severs | Sep 4, 2024

Jan 13, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot looks on before a game against the Arizona Wildcats at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State soccer faced their biggest challenge of the season Sunday morning. While the Cougars fought hard on the road, they couldn't contend with the Stanford Cardinal, falling to the nation's second-ranked team 2-0 to slip to 2-2 on the season.

The Cardinal drew first blood early, scoring a goal in the seventh minute. Mia Bhuta had missed a penalty kick just a couple minutes before, but this time she was on point, picking up an assist from Allie Montoya and putting the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal despite a dive from Nadia Cooper.

Andrea Kitahata gave the Cardinal another goal in the 32nd minute, with an assist from Charlotte Kohler. Despite Stanford's lead on the scoreboard, Washington State was putting up a good fight. Megan Santa Cruz fueled the Cougar attack, but couldn't find a way to get to the goal.

That was particularly evident in the second half, when most of the action took place on Stanford's side of the field. Santa Cruz and Rajanah Reed each had some quality attempts, but the Cardinal defense would not let much get near the goal, and Stanford goalie Haley Craig took care of all 5 shots that came her way.

One stat that stands out for Sunday's game is the 13 corner kicks Washington State took, compared to Stanford's one. That speaks to a couple things that explain much of the game. Washington State was able to control possession for much of the game, forcing Stanford into some uncomfortable positions. Ultimately, that wouldn't matter, because the Cardinal defense was too much for the Cougars to overcome, and Stanford was able to capitalize on the offensive opportunities they had.

Washington State will be back in Pullman this weekend welcoming a pair of California schools to Lower Soccer Field. They'll face UC Irvine on Thursday, September 5th and UC San Diego on Sunday, September 8th. This is a great chance for the Cougars to pick up a pair of wins; the Anteaters are 1-4-1 and the Tritons are 1-4.

Published Sep 4, 2024

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.