Who should be WSU’s goalie in 2025? The Cougars have brought in two senior transfers, both of whom have a compelling case to serve as the team’s starting goalie this fall. 

Zora Standifer, coming from Long Beach State University, might be the front runner. Standifer was a two-time All-Big West Honorable Mention at LBSU, with nine solo shutouts across three years at LBSU. 

However, Standifer did not play last season, and after a year off, the door could be open to fellow senior transfer Keara Fitzgerald. 

Fitzgerald also comes from the Big West, having spent four years at the University of California, San Diego. At UCSD, she was a two-year starter, and she led the Big West in saves in both 2022 and 2023. She also led the Big West in saves-per-game as a junior in 2023. 

With Nadia Cooper gone, the goalie position is wide open for both Standifer and Fitzgerald to compete for. Ultimately, it will come down to who the Cougars prefer. 

Fitzgerald might have the edge in height, standing at 6 feet, compared to Standifer at 5-foot-10, but the two-inch difference is likely just one thing to consider. Ultimately, while Fitzgerald led the Big West in saves back-to-back years, it was Standifer who was named as All-conference Honorable Mention. 

As an outsider, I would roll with Standifer. She had considerable success at LBSU, and was selected for the All-conference honors in the same conference as Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald will make a capable backup, and chances are, both goalies should provide Wazzu with quality competition in 2025.