PULLMAN, Wash. – After one of the most successful regular seasons in program history, the Washington State soccer team is headed back to the postseason for the second-straight season and seventh time in eight years and the 12th time overall after being selected for an at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament Monday afternoon. Not only is WSU one of 64 teams to make the tournament, the Cougars will host their first round matchup against Montana, Friday, November 9 at 7 p.m. at Lower Soccer Field. The first round home game marks the fifth time the Cougars will host an NCAA game and the first since 2015 when WSU hosted Northwestern.

"It's a big day for Washington State Athletics and the soccer program," WSU Head Soccer Coach Todd Shulenberger said.  "It's been a crazy year and it's been wild, it's been a rollercoaster for sure, but this group did not quit one bit. So our goal now is simple...we've got to go out and do better in the tournament and that's what we're looking forward to doing." 

One of the messages I've told the girls this morning and last night you know you did all these fantastic things last year, you did all these fantastic things the first ten games and then we hit rock bottom with some adversity, 4 starters out now 5 for the weekend, but I told them every record that you broke for most wins in non-conference, to the only team standing in the country being undefeated, to top seven in the country never happened before and then we had a slap in the face a little bit with what just happened and then now we're back and this group did not quit one bit, so our goal now is simple, we did that this fall and achieved more wins in the Pac-12, everything, now we got to do better in the tournament that's just the way it goes and that's what we're looking forward to do, I love our draw there's no guarantee with anything but you get a great game against Montana at home and then you take care of business you head east and we know what happens when we head east so we're looking forward to that, alright thanks for waiting on it and go cougs" 

In 2000, the Cougars hosted Montana in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, falling 1-0 to the Grizz. Friday's meeting between the Cougars and Griz will look familiar to WSU fans as the two teams met on Sept. 14 in Pullman in a game the Cougs would win 3-1. In the game, Makamae Gomera-Stevens scored the fastest goal of the season for the Cougs, netting just 1:57 into the game. She would score twice in the contest.

The Cougs finished the regular season 12-5-1 overall including a big win over then #8 UCLA, 1-0, and a draw against #1 Stanford, 1-1. The 12 wins are the most for the Cougs since winning 14 games in 2015 despite a rash of injuries to the starting 11. WSU ended the conference season in seventh place after posting a 5-5-1  record against the nation's best rivals. Throughout the season the Cougs were led by start forward Morgan Weaver who finished tied for second in Pac-12 scoring with 12 goals while Maddy Haro led the conference with 13 assists. Her 0.76 assists per game was second in the nation.

Last year in the postseason, the Cougs finished 1-1-1 advancing to the third round of the tournament for the first time in program history. WSU bested No. 8 UCF, 1-0, in the opening round and No. 20 Tennessee on penalty kicks in the second round. WSU's Cinderella postseason run came to an end in the third round against #16 Florida in a 1-0, 2OT, loss in Gainesville.

In all, the Cougs faced seven teams in the tournament's field in 2018. This year's College Cup will take place at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina on Nov. 30 (semifinals) and Dec. 2 (championship game).