PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State soccer team fought off wet conditions and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Lower Soccer Field, Thursday night, to earn a 3-0 win and maintain an undefeated season. The Cougars (7-0-0) scored a pair of goals in the opening half, before adding a third in the second, while holding the Zags (1-4-3) scoreless. With a perfect record, one of only three teams in the country that has not conceded a tie or loss, WSU is off to its best start in program history.

“It was a great win,” WSU Head Coach Todd Shulenberger said. “We're doing good stuff right now. We just have to take it one game at a time. We scored three fantastic goals. We're creating more opportunities. We're not a team that has just one goal scorer. We have a bunch of goal scorers.”

The Cougars earned their first goal in the 15th minute when senior Cara Wegner found the back of the net for the third time this season. Sophomore Sofia Anker-Kofoed crossed a ball in from the left side, which Wegner collected before hitting with her left foot. The shot sailed up and over the outstretched Gonzaga keeper before dipping in under the middle of the crossbar to give WSU a 1-0 lead.

Forty seconds before the halftime horn, Maddy Haro netted the first goal of her collegiate career. Haro made a run at the left post, while redshirt-senior Beau Bremer played a ball across the six-yard box. The shot was parried by the Zags' goalkeeper, but fell straight to Haro. The Corona, Calif., native did not even need two touches, with a first-time, left-footed volley into the back of the net to double the Cougar lead.

“When I saw it flash into the back of the net, it was just so exciting,” Haro said. “I saw the cross coming over, Beau had a great shot, and the keeper made a fantastic save. The ball popped out directly to me and I first-time volleyed with my left foot.”

Haro marks the 10th WSU goal scorer of the season, while Bremer picked up her first assist of the season.

The Cougars would add an insurance goal in the 60th minute, as junior Kaitlyn Johnson notched her third goal of the season. Senior Kourtney Guetlein found space along the right side of the endline, playing a ball in to an unmarked Johnson at the six-yard box. Johnson smashed the shot off the crossbar and into the back of the net to give WSU a 3-0 lead.

WSU redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Ella Dederick picked up her seventh-career win and second clean sheet. Dederick made four saves in the match.

WSU outshot Gonzaga 16-12, with nine shots on goal to the Bulldogs' four. Gonzaga's Aliyah Miller earned a booking in the 24th minute after a hard challenge on Guetlein. WSU's Cara Wegner picked up a caution in the 64th minute after a late challenge on a Zag at midfield.

Washington State closes out its nonconference slate, Sunday, Sept. 20, with a 1 p.m. match at Portland.

COUGAR NOTES

The Cougars have won 29-straight matches when leading at halftime…WSU hasn't lost when leading at halftime since Oct. 29, 2010…when leading at home, WSU hasn't lost in 83-consecutive matches, since Sept. 16, 1989…the Cougars improve to 7-0-0 and are one of three teams in the country that has not conceded a tie or loss…with seven-consecutive wins to open the season, WSU is off to its best start in school history…the Cougars haven't lost in 23-consecutive regular-season nonconference matches, behind Virginia's 28- and Virginia Tech's 34-match streaks...senior Cara Wegner earned the sixth game-winning goal of her career, moving in to a tie for eighth on WSU's all-time list…the goal was also Wegner's third of the season…junior Kaitlyn Johnson netted her third goal of the season and seventh of her career…senior Kourtney Guetlein picked up the third assist of her career…she now has 19 in her career, four shy of the school record held by Beth Childs…freshman Maddy Haro scored her first-career goal…sophomore Sofia Anker-Kofoed picked up her second-career assist…redshirt-senior Isabel Neyman made her first appearance of the season…WSU improves to 110-68-19 all-time in the month of September.