SAN DIEGO vs WASHINGTON STATE
Saturday, October 4 at 4 p.m. PT
San Diego, Calif. at Torero Stadium
Streaming: ESPN+ (David Gentile)

WAZZU VISITS SAN DIEGO
WSU returns to the road for a single match next week. The Cougars will face San Diego, Saturday, October 4 at 4 p.m. live on ESPN+. The match marks the first meeting between WSU and USD in San Diego and will celebrate 'Carnival Night.'

COUGARS AND TOREROS
Washington State and San Diego meet for the 4th time in program history and the first time in San Diego. Last season in Pullman, the Cougars defeated the Toreras in Pullman, 1-0, in the only meeting under Head Coach Todd Shulenberger, improving to 3-0-0 all-time. WSU and USD met in Los Angeles in 2012 and had their first all-time meeting in 1994 in Pullman.

LAST TIME ON THE PITCH
The Cougars lost to the Santa Clara Broncos, 1-2 Saturday night in Pullman in a controversial match that saw two red cards for WSU. The Cougars scored the opening goal less than one minute into the second half, but five bookings, including two red cards, led to a comeback win for the Broncos. Jordyn Young scored the opening goal for WSU, less than 60 seconds into the second half. WSU GK Zora Standifer would be shown red in the 69th minute, coming off her line to collect a ball at the top of the box, slipping as she grabbed the ball and rolling out of the goal box. After video review, the red card was rescinded, only to be reinstated after a conversation with the Santa Clara coaching staff. True freshman Sidney Venier was called upon to make her career debut and four saves in the final 21 minutes. The Broncos were awarded a penalty kick in the 74th minute. Santa Clara broke through for the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO
San Diego is led by second-year head coach Greg LaPonte and 2024 WCC All-Freshman selection, Ella Callanan. The Toreras returned leading points and goals leader, junior midfielder Mikayla Abrenica, as well the minutes leaders, junior goalkeeper Elise Medrano and junior defender Kate Sealy. Senior midfielder Kylie Smith and senior forward Josefine Schlichting captain the 2025 squad. USD's Amanda Anders and Josefine Schlichting lead the way with four goals apiece.

COACH TODD SURPASSES 200 MATCHES
Head Coach Todd Shulenberger oversaw his 200th career match at the helm of the Cougar program in WSU's 1-0 win at UC San Diego, September 11. Shulenberger is in his 11th season at the helm of the Cougar soccer program and currently holds a 109-64-32 record. Shulenberger is the longest tenured head coach in WSU soccer history, leading the Cougars to five NCAA Tournaments in 10 seasons, including an historic run to the College Cup and the 2019 national semifinal.

INJURY BUG BITES
Four Cougar soccer student-athletes have been sidelined with season-ending injuries, including three starters in Keara Fitzgerald, Becca Skinner, and Jenna Studer. Freshman Rhen Ericson suffered an injury in offseason training and elected to medically-redshirt the 2025 season. Freshman forward Becca Skinner suffered a season-ending injury during training ahead of the Cougars' August 28 match at Idaho. Captain and defensive centerback Jenna Studer's college career was cut short at UC Irvine, September 14, due to a season-ending knee injury. In the following game, starting goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald went down without contact in the 72nd minute, ending her season.

RESTRICTED COUGS HIT THE ROAD
WSU will visit San Diego down its three starters, in addition to missing now-starting goalkeeper Zora Standifer due to red card suspension, starting defensive midfielder Kiera Mitchell with a face fracture, and Head Coach Todd Shulenberger due to red card suspension. True freshman goalkeeper Sidney Venier will start in goal as the only available 'keeper for WSU.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Cougars will play a pair of matches next week, beginning Wednesday, October 8 in Moraga, California to face Saint Mary's at 4 p.m. WSU returns home to host LMU, Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m. at Lower Soccer Field. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

STANDIFER BETWEEN THE STICKS
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Zora Standifer made her debut as a Coug, replacing Keara Fitzgerald in goal in the 72nd minute, Sept. 18, in the 2-0 win over North Dakota State. The Long Beach State transfer made her first career start for Wazzu at Montana, Sunday, Sept. 21. Standifer finished with four saves and made her first start since October 2023, when she was a junior at Long Beach State. Standifer made her first start at Lower Soccer Field the following match, earning a win over Seattle U. Standifer will serve a one-game suspension for a red card offense in Saturday's match against Santa Clara. Standifer was deemed to have denied a direct goal-scoring opportunity, despite having two defenders behind her.

2025 ROSTER RELOAD
The Cougars welcomed 20 new faces, including six transfers and 14 freshmen. WSU retained 10 returnees, including four returning starters, two additional letterwinners, and four redshirts from last season's roster. This season, the Cougs have had 12 freshmen make their first college appearances, 17 student-athletes make their first starts at WSU, and seven make their first appearances as Cougs. In the season opener against Utah State, 11 Cougs made their WSU debuts, including seven in the starting lineup. Eight freshmen played their first college match.

IF THE GLOVE FITZ
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald earned the starting nod in the 2025 season opener, returning to the pitch for the first time since October 2023 and the first time in a WSU uniform. Fitzgerald held down the starting job until suffering a season-ending injury against North Dakota State, September 18. Fitzgerald's top performances included a career-high 11 saves in a shutout at California, September 4, the most by a Coug 'keeper in five seasons. The performance earned her WCC Defensive Player of the Week, her second-career conference weekly honor. The California senior tallied an assist in the Cougars' draw with No. 13 Georgia, August 31, delivering her second-career assist and the first by a Cougar goalkeeper since Nadia Cooper notched an assist against Colorado in Boulder in 2021.

STUDER'S ALL-WCC SEASON CUT SHORT
Returning sixth-year senior Jenna Studer was named to the All-WCC preseason team. The California native featured in the Cougars' backline until she suffered a season-ending knee injury at UC Irvine, September 14. The four-year Coug also suffered a season-ending injury in 2023 just two games into the season. During her college career, Studer delivered four goals, including three at WSU, and a pair of assists. Part of the backline and defensive midfield throughout her career, Studer played 46 matches as a Coug, starting 43, and played over 3,500 minutes.

OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
WSU's senior trio of Maggie Mace, Peyton Price, and Jenna Studer were selected by teammates and staff as the 2025 team captains.