Following a draw to the No. 22 BYU Cougars on Monday, the WSU women’s soccer team (1-0-1) takes on the Montana Grizzlies (1-1-0) Sunday at the Lower Soccer Field.

The Cougars have had two positive results in as many matches to start off the season. However, as Head Coach Steve Nugent preaches to his team, the Cougars will still be taking things practice by practice, day by day.

If WSU wants to add a second tally to the win column, they must do these four things on Sunday.

Control the midfield: 

You only have to look as far as the senior from Surrey, British Columbia. Nicole Setterlund is the definition of a facilitator, as she controls the pace of the game.

Most of the Cougars’ attack goes through her, but even though most teams know this, defenses rarely stop her.

Setterlund’s counterpart, fellow senior Jocelyn Jeffers, provides her own style of play to clog up the middle.

Jeffers is a forward who often drifts back to the midfield. She does a wonderful job of holding off defenders as WSU’s forwards make runs into the attacking half. She has great strength on the ball and uses her toughness to defend the midfield.

If the Cougs utilize their midfielders like they have done in their first two matches of the year, they should fare well on Sunday.

Get shots on goal:

Goal scoring opportunities are usually few and far between in soccer. However, the women of Washington State have not had an issue here.

It is simple: Put the ball on frame and positive results will come. One person to keep an eye on is freshman Sofia Anker-Kofoed.

She has extreme ball skills and it will not be long until she starts racking up goals and assists. Look for Anker-Kofoed to connect with Jeffers and Setterlund in the attacking half.

Montana’s defense has only given up one goal in two matches, but look for that number to rise after Sunday.

Continue to frustrate the opponent’s offenses:

The Cougs have yet to give up a goal this year. That is a testament to the long hours put in by the coaching staff with the back four in the offseason.

WSU has not given up a goal in a consecutive 562 minutes and 47 seconds going back to last season, a school record.

Senior goalkeeper Gurveen Clair looks to get her 27^th shutout on Sunday. It has not been all Clair, though, as the back four have done a wonderful job of clearing the ball when it is pinballing around the box.

Redshirt sophomore Susie White and senior Jamie Schnieders have done the dirty work thus far for the Cougs by clearing out free balls in the box. If WSU’s back four continue to play tough and disciplined, the Grizzlies will have an extremely tough time scoring, giving Clair her school record 28^th shutout.

No mercy:

Let’s face it. The Grizzlies are not as talented as the No. 24 team in the nation. If the Cougs continue to press the back four of opponents, they will have success.

As the Cougs continue to put more minutes of game time together, the timing issues get resolved. This team is full of players who can “set the table” and have plenty to finish it off by putting the ball in the back of the net.

This team has showed that, when given an inch, they can take advantage.

Sunday’s match will be the last contest in Pullman until Oct. 10. The Cougs kick off at noon and the contest will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.

Reporting by Ian Korzeniecki