Oct. 1, 2000

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. - With a 4-0 decision over UNLV (7-4) Sunday at Cougar Soccer Field, WSU increased its record to 8-2. The Cougs are off to the best start in the program's history. No WSU team has ever won more than six games in the first 10 before this season.

Junior co-captain Beth Childs (Snoqualmie, Wash.) started things off for the Cougs with the game-winner 19 minutes into play when she wrapped her corner kick into the far corner of the net. The goal was her third this season.

Less than two minutes later freshman midfielder Kim Morgan (Seattle, Wash.) scored her second career goal off a cross from Liz Duncan (Richland, Wash.). Duncan put one of her own away in the 54th minute of play when Brianne Carmody (Yakima, Wash.) brought the ball up the side and played it to Jen Burrough (University Place, Wash.) who dished it in for Duncan's finish. The assist was Carmody's first career point and Burrough's second career assist.

Leading scorer and senior co-captain Deka DeWitt (Auburn, Wash.) rounded the scoring off for the Cougars when she finished a shot from Rachel Rodrick (University Place, Wash.) and Katrina Stroh (Federal Way, Wash.) in the 65th minute.

Also coming up big Sunday was freshman goalkeeper Sara Leibowitz (Simi Valley, Calif.) who made her first career start and earned her first career shutout with six saves in net.

"We really look at it game by game and as long as we keep improving and correcting the things that are fixable, that's the most important thing," head coach Dan Tobias said. "I think the team, the program, we're happy with the start (8-2-0 record), but we still want to keep working hard towards improving our performance."

With a five game win streak and a 4-0 home record, the Cougars are hoping some of their momentum carries into next weekend's Pac-10 kickoff with eighth ranked California and 13th ranked Stanford. WSU takes on Cal Friday, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. and Stanford Sunday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. PT, both games will be played at Cougar Soccer Field.