Cougar soccer is back for the spring season, opening against the Eastern Washington Eagles. The last time these two teams faced off was back in August when the Cougs took on the Eagles for an exhibition game prior to the start of the season.
New faces in Pullman
This will be the first action in a new era of Cougar soccer, as this will be the first game for head coach Chris Citowicki and his staff. Citowicki was hired from the University of Montana in December after former head coach Todd Shulenberger departed Pullman.
The Cougs will also see 17 of 28 players on the roster get their first action in the crimson and gray. However, not everyone is new for the Cougs as 11 players decided to stay in Pullman.
The returners are highlighted by sophomore Aaya McLyn, who was able to find consistent minutes last season playing in 12 of the 19 games, starting one game against Saint Mary’s. She recorded an assist against San Diego.
Eastern Washington signed nine players this offseason. Chloe Pattison who scored six goals last season is returning for the Eagles. Pattison was second on the team in goals scored. The Eagles lost their top scorer Delani Walker due to graduation.
Looking back at last season
Both teams finished their season with similar records as the Cougs finished 7-7-5 and 5-4-2 in West Coast Conference play. The Eagles finished 8-7-4 and 4-3-1 in Big Sky Conference play. The Eagles did make an appearance in the Big Sky tournament falling to Northern Arizona 1-2.
Neither team qualified for the NCAA tournament.
However, for the Eagles in their four conference games they won in style beating their opponents with a combined score of 9-0. As for their losses they lost by a combined score of 10-3, with a majority of the goal difference being against Sacramento State where they lost 5-0. Their one draw came against Citowicki’s former team in Montana where the game ended 1-1.
Similarly WSU won their conference games in dominance outscoring their opponents 12-3. In their losses it was a different story, only scoring one goal compared to the five goals that their opponents scored. The two ties that Cougs had last season both ended 1-1.
Notably the Cougs traveled to Montana last season to face Citowicki, in that game the Cougs fell 1-0. The assist on the goal came from junior Lydia Robertson who followed Citowicki to Pullman.
Citowicki spent last season at the University of Montana where he was able to lead Montana to a Big Sky Title. Additionally, Montana finished as the No. 95 best team in all of Division-one women’s soccer.
Montana also finished as a top defense with goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak who followed Citowicki to Pullman as a top goalkeeper in the country finishing No. 14 in the country in goals-against average (0.61), No. 19 in the country in save percentage (.851) and was No. 9 in the country in shutouts finishing with nine.
What to expect
Last season at Montana, Citowicki played a game that was balanced, on the offensive side of the ball seeing multiple players end the season with multiple goals, including players Regan Brisendine, Maycen Slater and Robertson who all followed Citowicki to Pullman.
On the defensive side of the ball the Cougs will be heavy in pressure, as Montana Citowicki was able to coach a brick wall of a defensive, ending the season with nine shutouts, Dvorak only allowed 11 eleven goals in her 20 games. Beyond that centerbacks Riley Carolan, Makena Smith and Taylie Nowels who made the move to Pullman will be vital parts of the back line. Additionally, outside backs Ashlyn Sandow and Jenna Studer are key parts of shutting down wingers.
“In terms of style of play we are gonna be front foot on the press… we will be heavy when it comes to defending and pressing from the front,” Citowicki said in his introduction press conference.
The rest of spring season
This is one of three games for the Cougs this spring. They will take on professional USL team the Spokane Zephyr FC on April 12 in Spokane. Zephyr FC has a former Coug on the roster in defender Reese Tappan. The Cougs final spring game is on April 22 against the University of Idaho at lower soccer field.
The Eagles will play nine spring games having already played one against Gonzaga. They will play the next six games at home in Cheney.
Kickoff against the Eagles will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 at the Taylor Sports Complex due to inclement weather.
