WASHINGTON STATE at IDAHO
Thursday, August 28 at 7 p.m. PT
Moscow, Idaho at P1FCU Kibbie Dome
Streaming: ESPN+ (Trevor Williams)

BATTLE OF THE PALOUSE
The Washington State women's soccer team returns to the pitch for a trip across the state line to Moscow, Idaho, Thursday, August 28. The Cougars will face the Idaho Vandals in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome at 7 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+.

THE COUGARS AND THE VANDALS
WSU and U of I have met 15 times in program history, dating back to the inaugural match in September 1999, the first and only win for the Vandals. Since then, the Cougs have rattled off 14-consecutive wins, including four victories under Coach Shulenberger's guidance. Last season, Wazzu hosted Idaho in August, defeating the visitors 2-1, behind a 70th-minute gamewinner from Julianna Duckett. Thursday's game will mark the first matchup at Idaho since 2014, a 1-0 win for the Cougs.

LAST TIME ON THE PITCH
The Cougars welcomed Utah State, Thursday, August 14, to open the 2025 season in front of 2,317 fans — the seventh-largest crowd in WSU soccer history. The Cougs fell to the Aggies 0-1 behind a 77th minute game winner. In season openers, the Cougs are 26-8-3 overall and 11-4-2 in season openers at Lower Soccer Field.

STUDER EARNS ALL-WCC PRESEASON
Returning sixth-year senior Jenna Studer was named to the All-WCC preseason team. The California native will feature in the Cougars' backline after delivering a pair of goals and an assist last season, playing nearly every minute of the 2024 campaign.

ABOUT THE VANDALS
Four starters returned for the Vandals, including leading scorer Annika Farley and starting goalkeeper Paula Flores along with veteran forward Karli Yoshida-Williams and midfielder Sara Rodgers. Eleven letterwinners returned, while Idaho brought in six transfers and nine freshmen to bolster the roster. Idaho graduate midfielder Annika Farley was named to the All-Big Sky Preseason team and the United Soccer Coaches Midfielder Watch List. Junior Izzy Thoma was also named to the Preseason All-Big Sky team. There will be one familiar face on the Vandals' roster with junior Georgia Whitehead joining Idaho after transferring from WSU last spring.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Cougs will return home to host No. 13 Georgia at Lower Soccer Field, Sunday, August 31 at 1 p.m. in Pullman. WSU traveled to Athens last year to face the Bulldogs, falling 1-4, in the programs' first meeting. Former WSU coach and current Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine makes his return to Pullman for the first time since 2018 with the USC Trojans.

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. In the season opener against Utah State, 11 Cougs made their WSU debuts, including seven in the starting lineup. Keara Fitzgerald, Ava Ghoreishi, Kiera Mitchell, Audrey Shackelford, Becca Skinner, Isabelle Wright, and Jordyn Young all made their first career starts at WSU. Ghoreishi, Mitchell, Skinner, and Wright all played their first collegiate game. Maizy Kluksdal, Journey Middleborn, Ana de los Santos, and Emery Streets all made their WSU debuts off the bench.

OH CAPTAIN, 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.

NEW NETMINDERS
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 made six saves, the most by a Cougar keeper since Nadia Cooper made six saves against LMU last October. Fitzgerald and fellow senior Zora Standifer have battled for the starting job all preseason with incoming freshman Sidney Venier backing them up.

COACH TODD SHULENBERGER
Head Coach Todd Shulenberger began his 11th season at the helm of the Cougar soccer program with a 106-61-29 record, the winningest coach in program history. 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.