PULLMAN, Wash. – The No. 5 UCLA Bruins women's soccer team (9-1, 3-0) defeated No. 23 Washington State (7-4, 0-3), 2-0, Sunday afternoon at Lower Soccer Field. UCLA netted a goal in each half in the Cougars' final home game in a month-long homestand.
 
UCLA's Lexi Wright scored the game's opening goal in the 13th minute, giving the nationally-ranked Bruins the early lead. Wright dribbled down the left flank and took advantage of a slip from a Cougar defender, using the space to loft a curling shot from the left side of the goal box into the upper right corner.
 
Washington State had three shots after the goal to net the equalizer in the opening half. The Cougars' best shot came in the 21st minute when freshman Reagan Kotschau stood over a free kick from 22 yards out the top of the area. Kotschau struck the ball with pace, but was unable to pick out a corner, firing the shot down the middle for a UCLA save.
 
Kotschau would get a second shot on goal in the 35th minute, with her and senior Margie Detrizio playing in the box. Detrizio laid a short pass off for Kotschau who got her foot on the ball with a defender challenging. The shot found the gut of UCLA's goalkeeper and the Bruins remained on top for the remainder of the half.
 
The Cougars returned from the locker room continuing to apply high pressure to the Bruins' backline and force errant passes. WSU was disrupting UCLA, spearheaded by Detrizio, harassing the centerbacks. Detrizio nearly found the equalizer in the 55th minute when she jumped a pass from the UCLA defense. The Arizona senior took a touch to line up a chip shot over the Bruin keeper caught off her line. Detrizio's shot had too much power, as she pushed it over the crossbar.
 
The defending national champions put the game away in the 70th minute, courtesy of a goal from Ally Cook. The Bruins played down their left side, finding Cook in the 6-yard box, where she put massive rotation on a shot that skipped around the Cougar defense and spun back inside the left post for the 2-0 lead.
 
WSU's Nadia Cooper faced a season-high 19 shots, as many as she faced in a 1-0 win at Portland in August. Cooper made four saves in the match and sits six saves behind seventh in program history.
 
Now that Washington State has concluded an 8-match homestand, the Cougars will hit the road for their first conference road trip of the season. WSU will face Arizona in Tucson, Thursday, Oct. 5 with kickoff at 7 p.m. PT.
 
Stat of the Match
Two Cougars reached major career milestones in Sunday's match as Bridget Rieken reached 80 matches played and Marin Whieldon eclipsed 60 game appearances.
 
Postgame Notes

• The Cougars fall to 5-21-5 all-time against the Bruins
• The Cougars have not defeated a ranked opponent since the 2019 season that ended at the College Cup
• Nadia Cooper increased her career save total to 144, and just four saves shy of seventh in school history
• Bridget Rieken started her 77th career match, moving into eighth in school history for matches started by a field player; Rieken also reached 80 match appearances
• Marin Whieldon made her 60th collegiate appearance
• Nadia Cooper surpassed 4,000 minutes in goal