PORTLAND vs WASHINGTON STATE
Saturday, October 25 at 7 p.m. PT
Portland, Oregon at Merlo Field
Streaming: ESPN+

COUGS CONCLUDE OCTOBER IN PORTLAND
The Washington State women's soccer team wraps up its October schedule at Portland, Saturday night, at Merlo Field. The Cougars and Pilots are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ with WSU hoping to play spoiler on UP's Senior Night.

COUGARS AND PILOTS HISTORY
Two storied Pacific Northwest programs clash for the 19th time and the fourth-consecutive season. The Cougs are riding a 3-match unbeaten streak against UP, including their first program win over the Pilots in 2023. Portland has dominated the historical series, 14-1-3, while Coach Todd Shulenberger holds a 1-1-2 record against the Pilots, as the only Cougar coach with success against Portland.

LAST TIME ON THE PITCH
The Cougars defeated Oregon State, 1-0, Wednesday night at Paul Lorenz Field in Corvallis. Keira Mitchell delivered her second game-winning goal, rocketing home a direct free kick strike in the 83rd minute to extend the WSU unbeaten streak against OSU to nine matches.

ABOUT PORTLAND
The Portland Pilots are 6-3-6 overall and Seattle U Redhawks on the road in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Sophia Hills earned WCC Defensive Player of the Week as Portland has been one of the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking 24th nationally (0.643) in goals-against average. The Pilots are also second in shutout percentage (.500) and total shutouts (7). 

YOUNG TURNS HEADS
WSU senior transfer Jordyn Young has caught the eye of the WCC, as the Cougars' leading goal scorer with four goals after just one goal in three seasons at Cal. The Martinez, California native has started every match for the Cougs with three of her goals coming since the start of WCC play.

SHACKELFORD SHINES
Sophomore transfer Audrey Shackelford has found her footing as one of Wazzu's go-to service strikers. Shackelford recently tallied her third assist of the year, delivering a perfect, in-swinging ball from a corner kick in the Oct. 18 draw with Gonzaga. The Sacramento midfielder has played the full 90 in five-consecutive matches and is second on the team in points, behind Young, with two goals and three assists.

THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
Freshman midfielder Isabelle Wright wasted no time settling into the Cougar lineup, becoming the team assist leader with four assists. Three of Wright's four assists have come since the start of conference play.

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 111-65-34 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.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Cougars return to Pullman for their final home matches of the regular season. WSU will celebrate Senior Day next Saturday, Nov. 1, ahead of a 7 p.m. kickoff against Pepperdine.

INJURY BUG BITES
Five Cougar soccer student-athletes have been sidelined with season-ending injuries, including four starters in goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald, defender and co-captain Peyton Price, forward Becca Skinner, and defender  and co-captain 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. Most recently, Peyton Price suffered a season-ending injury in the 55th minute at Saint Mary's, October 8.

STANDIFER BETWEEN THE STICKS
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Zora Standifer made her debut as a Coug, Sept. 18, replacing Keara Fitzgerald in goal in the 72nd minute in a 2-0 win over North Dakota State. Since then, Standifer has earned three wins with five goals allowed over eight matches. 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. The senior transfer earned her first career WSU shutout with a 2-0 win over LMU, Oct. 11.

2025 ROSTER RELOAD
The Cougars welcomed 20 new faces, including six transfers and 14 freshmen. WSU retained 10 returnees, including four returning starters. This season, the Cougs have had 13 freshmen make their college debuts and 18 student-athletes make their first starts at WSU. 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. Fitzgerald finished with 296 career saves in 58 matches played and over 5,000 minutes.

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.