SPOKANE, Wash. – The Washington State Cougar soccer team (5-5-5) lost to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 3-4, Saturday night at Luger Field in Spokane. All seven goals came in the final 45 minutes, as WSU's Lindsey Turner, Reese Tappan, and Grayson Lynch all scored in the second half. Turner scored a 56th minute equalizer before Tappan and Lynch scored in the final four minutes as WSU's comeback fell short.
 
The Cougars and Bulldogs played to a scoreless halftime, led by Wazzu with five shots to Gonzaga's four attempts. WSU's Megan Santa Cruz had a pair of clean strikes from the top of the penalty area but was unable to keep the shots under the crossbar. Nadia Cooper was called upon for a pair of first-half saves, including a tricky GU dummy ball that skipped up into Cooper's arms and collected without a chance for a rebound.
 
Washington State returned from the locker room on the front foot, hunting the game's opening goal. Sophomore Nathalie Lewis, starting the second half, pounced on a chance less than two minutes into the period, getting a one-on-one opportunity with the Gonzaga goalkeeper that was saved at point-blank range.
 
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the 55th minute, finishing a corner kick that was delivered to the far post and headed back across goal to Emelia Warta for the finish. WSU responded immediately, equalizing the game less than two minutes later.
 
The Cougs' Lindsey Turner hammered home her third goal of the season in the 56th minute, driving home a cross from sophomore Reagan Kotschau to the bottom left corner of goal. The ball to Kotschau was played over the top by fellow sophomore Megan Santa Cruz for the secondary assist. Turner's third goal ties her with freshman Kendall Campbell for team scoring leader, while Kotschau picked up a team-best fifth assist and Santa Cruz earned her fourth assist.
 
The eastern Washington programs traded opportunities for the next quarter hour before Gonzaga earned a penalty kick opportunity on a WSU handball in the area. A shot attempt from the Zags hit the arm of senior Reese Tappan and Chelsea Le finished from the spot to give GU the lead again.
 
Gonzaga scored a pair of insurance goals in the 83rd and 86th minutes, taking a late 4-1 lead when WSU threw numbers forward for the comeback. While the match appeared to be out of reach, a shot attempt by Lynch in the 87th minute rebounded off a Bulldog defender's arm, and Tappan stepped to the spot for her first career goal.
 
Trailing 2-4, Maggie Mace delivered a ball into the box in the 89th minute. Freshman Kendall Campbell flicked the ball on with her head, where Lynch delivered a strike with the outside of her right foot for the Cougs' third goal.
 
WSU's rally fell short as time expired and the Cougs fell at Gonzaga for just the second time in series history. The Cougars continue a three-game road swing next Wednesday, at top-10 Santa Clara with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
Match Notes

• Grayson Lynch played in her 93rd career match, tied for second in Cougar soccer history with former teammate Elyse Bennet, for career games played by a field player
• Reese Tappan scored her first career goal, finishing from the penalty spot in the 87th minute
• Grayson Lynch scored her 20th career goal and team-best third goal of the season
• Lindsey Turner scored her team-best third goal of the season and fourth goal as a Coug
• The Cougs scored three goals for the second time this season and conceded four goals for the second time this season
• Lindsey Turner started her 60th career college match (44 at WSU)
• Reagan Kotschau earned her team-high fifth assist of the season
• Megan Santa Cruz tallied her fourth assist of the season
• Kendall Campbell tallied her first career assist
• Maggie Mace earned her third assist as a Coug
• Lynch recorded one shot in the match, moving up in WSU's top-10 in career shots history with 160 total shot attempts (10th in program history)
• The Cougars moved to 24-2-1 all-time against Gonzaga
• WSU is 1-5-2 away from Lower Soccer Field this fall