PULLMAN, Wash. - Playing their first true exhibition of the spring season, the Cougar soccer team wasted little time asserting itself against the University of British Columbia as a goal in the seventh minute by Makamae Gomera-Stevens set the tone on a chilly March night in Martin Stadium. Playing in the home of Cougar football, the soccer team showed that off their own quick strike offense, scoring three times on the night while the defense shutdown any offense the Thunderbirds attempted to muster.

Kicking things off, a relentless attack by the Cougs' strikers put the Thunderbirds on their heels from the opening touch. With the constant pressure, WSU was able to keep the ball in the offensive third, probing the UBC backline with runs until breaking through for their first goal of the night. With the ball on her foot, Gomera-Stevens snaked her way through the Thunderbirds' defense, forcing the keeper off of her line and out to the middle of the box where the young Cougar was able to one-touch her way free before slotting the ball home for the goal. 

With one tally on the board, the Cougs would strike again a few minutes later when Brianna Alger found the Morgan Weaver at the top edge of the box. With defenders on her hip and her back to the goal, Weaver did not hesitate. Showing off a move familiar to Coug fans, Weaver spun quickly with the ball on her foot and fired a perfect strike to the far post. 

Not to be outdone by her frontline mates, Elyse Bennett got into the action early in the second half with her head rather than her foot. Making a run through the middle, Bennett, using the Cougs' own version of the Air Raid offense, took advantage of a perfect service by her classmate, Jamie Rita, to hammer home what would be the Cougs' third and final goal of the night as the Thunderbirds' defense could only watch from the ground as she flew over the top for the strike.

While the offense was in constant attack mode, the defense was stout whenever the Thunderbirds made a foray into the attacking third. Splitting the game in goal, Emma Dahline and Rachel Thompson came up with a combined clean sheet while Maddy Haro came up with a defensive save of her own on a ball bound for the back post after a UBC corner.

The Cougs will head back to the practice field for the rest of March before taking on the Crossfire Boys on April 1 in a combined practice/scrimmage in Pullman.