WSU soccer (8-4) will wrap up their first week on the road with a game against Arizona State (7-2-4) at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium 12 p.m. Sunday in Tempe Arizona
Arizona State welcomes the Cougars after a win over Washington at home Thursday evening. Freshman Ella Opkvitne netted the first goal of Thursday’s game (the second of her collegiate career) and would go on to lead the Sun Devils with seven shots and four shots on goal. Sophomore Enasia Colon secured the win for the Sun Devils when she found a goal from nearly 40 yards away in the 85th minute to bring the final score to 2-1.
Arizona State’s Pauline Nelles is currently the top ranked goalkeeper in the Pac-12 and lists first in save percentage (.877) and third in overall saves (50) so far this season.
After slipping from the NCAA’s top 25 rankings, WSU secured their first Pac-12 victory of the season over the Arizona Wildcats Thursday evening in Tuscon, Arizona. Senior forward Margie Deritizo led the Cougs with a total of five shots against Arizona, contributing to her total of 43 shots and 13 points so far in 2023. With a career point total of 60, Detrizio’s performance places her seventh in program shooting history and she currently ranks seventh amongst Pac-12 offensive leaders this season.
Thursday’s win puts WSU goalie Nadia Cooper three saves shy of seventh in program history with 145 career saves.
Fifth-year Coug Bridget Rieken made her 81st appearance on the field in Tuscon while red-shirt senior Keeley Copper made her 60th career appearance.
After a losing stretch of Pac-12 play at home — falling to No. 2 Stanford, No. 19 USC and No. 5 UCLA —WSU head coach Todd Shulenberger said that the team was going to come back stronger out in the desert.
“[We had] three battles against three of the best teams in America,” Shulenberger said during Wednesday’s press conference. “You know, you could argue that’s the hardest stretch in college soccer. We got better for it.”
Shulenberger will be chasing his 98th career win Sunday.
WSU’s win against Arizona puts the team’s conference record at 1-3, while Arizona State goes into this weekend 2-1-1. Arizona State holds an all-time 14-10-3 record over the Cougars, with the Sun Devils walking away unbeaten for the last four consecutive years. The Cougs have not claimed a win against the Sun Devils in Tempe since 2017.
The game will be live 12 p.m. Sunday on Pac-12 Arizona.
