The Cougs faced the No. 13-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Aug. 31 in a nail-biting 1-1 draw. Coming off a tie against Idaho, Washington State entered the match-up eager to secure a win over Georgia.
The Cougs took to the Lower Soccer Field in 92-degree heat, ready for battle. They started off hot, controlling the ball in the early minutes and taking two quick shots on goal by Audrey Shackelford and Isabella Wright.
Georgia regained control but conceded two costly fouls, setting up a free kick near the center circle for WSU goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald delivered a ball into the six-yard box, where Georgia’s keeper bobbled the ball out of her hands right to the feet of Ava Ghoreishi. She capitalized on the mistake and sank the shot, putting the Cougs up 1-0.
In a post-game interview, Ghoreishi talked about scoring against a ranked opponent.
“It’s a big shift playing Georgia,” she said. “The coaches say, just risk it. Just risk it.”
She also noted the feeling
“It’s honestly the best feeling I’ve ever had. The rush, you work so hard and working hard over the summer and then the relief.”
Ava’s goal marked the 100th all-time WSU goal scored against a top-15 opponent.
From there, Georgia controlled much of the possession, outpacing Wazzu offensively. Frequent fouls from both sides disrupted the flow of play and stalled several attacks. The Cougs entered halftime with a 1-0 lead.
The aggressive game would continue with the second half. Georgia defender Kate Hardin picked up the Bulldogs’ first yellow card after a collision that left WSU captain Jenna Studer down on the pitch. 10 minutes later, Georgia would receive another yellow card after a nasty slide tackle, following the trend of fouls.
Just three minutes after the Cougs captain left the field, Georgia took advantage of the weakened defense and struck quickly to even the match at 1-1.
The Bulldogs controlled the midfield with physical play, collecting another yellow card, while the Cougars were whistled for 15 fouls to Georgia’s seven fouls. With just a minute remaining, Goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald came up clutch, denying the Bulldogs on a dangerous free kick from the top of the 18. Her diving stop saved the Cougs from another loss, picking up the 1-1 draw.
Head coach Todd Shulenberger talked about the physical game.
“No one comes in here and pushes the Cougs around. We’re not trying to foul, we are being aggressive.” Shulenberger said “This was a team effort to get the result we did today.”
The Cougs are still winless after 3 games. Shulenberger talked about the team’s work ethic and how they have been playing.
“This team is grind, gritty, and hardworking, a bunch of young girls that no one knows about now but keep an eye on these girls. They’re doing a great job,” Shulenberger said “We made a mistake, we made a mistake at Idaho. They tied us. These little mistakes we have to learn as a young group.”
The Cougs secured a top 25 result against a ranked opponent for the second straight season, and recorded their first home tie against a top 15 team since Oct. 24, 2021, when they drew then No. 8 UCLA.
The Cougs will trek to Berkeley, California, to take on the Golden Bears Sep 4.
