PULLMAN, Wash. - For the first time in her career, junior Maddy Haro captured Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week recognition as announced by the conference office Tuesday morning. The award is the second weekly honor picked up by the Cougs in 2017 after redshirt-junior Ella Dederick was named Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 22 to start the season.
Haro earned the conference's weekly award after leading the Cougs to a perfect weekend and the 2017 Cougar Classic title with impressive wins over No. 14 Nebraska (1-0) and Georgia Southern (5-0). Playing all 180 minutes of action, Haro helped lead the Cougs' defense to an unblemished weekend as WSU picked up two more shutouts at home to run their streak to 380:00 minutes without a goal given up at Lower Soccer Field. Most impressively, the Cougs shutout a Husker team that had scored 12 goals in four matches prior to Friday night's contest, a mark which ranked seventh in the nation through the first two weeks of action.
While dominating on the defensive end, Haro continued her impressive start on the offensive side of the ball as the junior pressed into the attack whenever possible. Making the most of her time on the field, Haro assisted on a pair of goals in the Cougs' 5-0 rout of Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon. Her first assist came off a throw-in that found its way into the box where sophomore Morgan Weaver finished off the play for the Cougs' third goal. 25 minutes later, Haro crossed a ball into the box that found freshman Jamie Rita who tapped in her first collegiate goal.
On the year, Haro leads the Cougs in points with five as the third-year defender has scored one goal while assisting on three others. Defensively, Haro and the Cougs' defense has come up with four shutouts in five matches, two of which have come against top-25 opponents.
The Cougs and Haro will hit the pitch Friday night, Sept. 8, at home against Cal State Northridge in the final non-conference game of the season for WSU.
Haro earned the conference's weekly award after leading the Cougs to a perfect weekend and the 2017 Cougar Classic title with impressive wins over No. 14 Nebraska (1-0) and Georgia Southern (5-0). Playing all 180 minutes of action, Haro helped lead the Cougs' defense to an unblemished weekend as WSU picked up two more shutouts at home to run their streak to 380:00 minutes without a goal given up at Lower Soccer Field. Most impressively, the Cougs shutout a Husker team that had scored 12 goals in four matches prior to Friday night's contest, a mark which ranked seventh in the nation through the first two weeks of action.
While dominating on the defensive end, Haro continued her impressive start on the offensive side of the ball as the junior pressed into the attack whenever possible. Making the most of her time on the field, Haro assisted on a pair of goals in the Cougs' 5-0 rout of Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon. Her first assist came off a throw-in that found its way into the box where sophomore Morgan Weaver finished off the play for the Cougs' third goal. 25 minutes later, Haro crossed a ball into the box that found freshman Jamie Rita who tapped in her first collegiate goal.
On the year, Haro leads the Cougs in points with five as the third-year defender has scored one goal while assisting on three others. Defensively, Haro and the Cougs' defense has come up with four shutouts in five matches, two of which have come against top-25 opponents.
The Cougs and Haro will hit the pitch Friday night, Sept. 8, at home against Cal State Northridge in the final non-conference game of the season for WSU.
54' | Maddy Haro throws it to Morgan Weaver, who drills it past the keeper. | 3-0 WSU #GoCougs https://t.co/ieeg3YAQO0
— WSU Cougar Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) September 3, 2017
78' | Jamie Rita scores her first career goal on a cross from Maddy Haro. | 4-0 WSU #GoCougs https://t.co/hquhjymLUL
— WSU Cougar Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) September 3, 2017