In Case You Missed It
PULLMAN – Bouncing back at home, #13 Washington State (5-1-0) closed out play at its own Cougar Classic with a 2-1 win over Loyola Marymount (0-5-2) Sunday afternoon at Lower Soccer Field. The Cougars wasted no time getting out and running on the Lions as WSU pushed the pace from the kickoff before breaking through just 2:42 into the game for the opening score. Taking a flicked on ball from
Elyse Bennett,
Morgan Weaver showed off her speed and touch as the senior star outpaced the Lions' defense around the right flank to set up her scoring chance. With the ball at her feet and just outside the LMU six, Weaver calmly tapped a ball under the Lions' keeper and into the back of the net to put the Cougars up early. The entire play for the Cougars began on their own side of midfield when sophomore center back
Mykiaa Minniss lifted a ball over the top into the attacking third that found the head of Bennett. Despite the sudden lead the Cougars would find themselves in for a fight on the day as the Lions equalized just five minutes later when a long throw-in dropped into the penalty area allowing Maki Kona to pounce on a missed clearance.
Back to even on the scoreboard the Cougars continued to press forward, forcing LMU back on its heels. With the Lions backpeddling the Cougars were able to earn a free kick near midfield, a spot not normally thought of as a dangerous area. Even with the ball just inside their own half, the Cougars took a chance as junior center back
Hanna Goff stepped up and dropped a dime into the box, finding Bennett above the scrum. All Bennett had to do from there was flick the ball towards goal, putting just enough on the header to get it past the goal line and put WSU back on top. From there, the Cougars' would ramp up their attack, peppering the Lions' defense with a season-high 26 shots only to be denied an insurance goal the rest of the way. Much of the Lions' defensive success came thanks to a keeper switch as Sadie Kenny played the final 68 minutes of the game while allowing no Cougar goals and tallying five saves.
Stat Of The MatchÂ
Morgan Weaver's 3rd minute goal was the second fastest of the season and fourth goal inside the first 10 minutes of play for the Cougars in 2019.
The Moments That Made The Match
Things You Need To Know
- The Cougars improved to 5-1-0 on the year and broke their tie with LMU all-time improving their record to 2-1-1 against the Lions in four contests.
- The victory marked head coach Todd Shulenberger's 50th career victory.
- Morgan Weaver scored for the second-straight contest while picking up her team-best fifth goal of the year. The star striker nabbed her 33rd career goal to move into a tie for third all-time in WSU scoring history with Cougar great Micaela Castain (2010-13).
- Elyse Bennett recorded her third one goal, one assist game of the season. She tallied her fourth assist on the season to tie for the team lead while she picked up her second goal of her junior campaign. Bennett became the fourth Cougar on the year to record a game-winning goal.
- Both of the Cougars' starting center backs tallied an assist in the contest with both starting the action from the Cougars' side of midfield. Mykiaa Minniss came up with her second assist of the year on the Weaver goal while Hanna Goff's assist on the Bennett goal was her third career assist and first of the season.
- Ella Dederick moved into second place all-time in minutes played for WSU as the super-senior ended the contest 6536:34 minutes, passing Lindsey Jorgensen (1998-01). In addition, Dederick earned her 42nd career victory, two shy of the all-time record.
- WSU outshot its opponent for the sixth time on the season while firing off 26 shots, tying a season-high set against Montana in the home opener.
- WSU hits the road for the final weekend of non-conference play with a trip to Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Shootout. The Cougs will take on Hawai'i (Sept. 19) before facing Pepperdine (Sept. 22).
