Battle of the sexes; WSU women’s soccer faces off against men’s club

Redshirt+freshman+goalkeeper+Alexis+Thode+attempts+a+goalkick+during+a+match+against+Gonzaga+at+the+Grimes+Way+Playfield%2C+March+29.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Alexis Thode attempts a goalkick during a match against Gonzaga at the Grimes Way Playfield, March 29.

A gender grudge match is scheduled to take place this Saturday on the soccer pitch.

WSU continues its yearly match up against the men’s soccer club at noon on Grimes Field.

Last weekend the team traveled to Boise, Idaho, and swept the double-header. The Cougars defeated both Boise State Broncos and the Utah State Aggies by scores of 1-0.

This week Washington State will face a new challenge.

“There’s always a rivalry between us and the boys. We have some of them at practice with us, but it’ll be interesting to see how this year’s goes,” senior forward Jocelyn Jeffers said.

The Cougars are 3-1 so far this spring. Their only loss came in their spring opener against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

“It’s already night and day,” junior forward Korynn Blanksma said of the Cougars in spring. “The first game we were trying to get the kinks out and get used to working back with each other.”

Blanksma said with the seniors out, the team was trying to fill those gaps in the first weekend, but in the second weekend they were comfortable as a unit.

The women’s team won’t take the men’s team lightly. Both Blanksma and Jeffers said they want to close the gap this year after losing 6-1 last year.

“It’s easy to look at it and say, ‘Well it’s just the boys. It’s just another game,’ but it’s not for us,” Nugent said. “It’s a chance for us to get better.”

Before entering the weekend of play, this spring season the new coaching staff has implemented something new.

During the Thursday practices the team splits up into two assigned groups that were picked prior to the season, for what they call ‘Competition Day.’

Yesterday one team wore tiger-themed shirts and the other tie dye. Both teams added some face paint and the competition looked fierce.

There are four different activities for every Competition Day, and at the end of the spring the team will tally up the points and announce who was victorious.

Nugent said these types of practices in spring are a time for the team to bond and become closer as a unit.

“It’s always fun to lighten up the mood before a game and to just have fun with the team also while competing,” Jeffers said.