Cougars fall to top-ranked Stanford 2-1
WSU sophomore forward Alysha Overland fends off a Colorado Buffalos defender in a match on Sept. 23. The Cougars late comeback attempt against the Cardinal fell short Thursday night in Palo Alto.
September 30, 2016
It was a fiery matchup on the soccer pitch between WSU and No. 1 Stanford Thursday night.
The Cougars (5-4-1, 0-2) fell 2-1 in a back and forth affair that saw both teams scoreless at the end of the first half.
Stanford (9-0-1, 2-0) burst into the first half, immediately challenging WSU defenders and taking the first shot of the match in the second minute of play. The Cougar offense was quick to respond when senior midfielder Kailiana Johnson fired a shot five minutes later that narrowly missed the crossbar.
Possession between the two teams shifted frequently, with each team putting continuous pressure on the other’s defense. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Ella Dederick shut down two scoring attempts by Stanford, keeping the Cardinal at 0 at the end of the first half. Each team had five shots on goal in the first 45 minutes, but neither was able to convert.
Redshirt senior forward Kaitlyn Johnson started the second half strong, taking a shot and a free kick for the Cougars in the first minutes of play. Stanford countered both of Johnson’s shots but WSU sophomore defender Maegan O’Neill cleared a ball that nearly put them on the board in the 59th minute.
Stanford scored the first goal of the match in the 63rd minute after dribbling the ball down the center of the field and beating junior defender Jordan Branch at the net.
WSU followed with several scoring opportunities of its own, with both Johnson and freshman forward Morgan Weaver each taking multiple shots for the Cougars. The team nearly got on the scoreboard off a corner kick but no one inside the goalie box was able to convert.
Stanford pulled further ahead in the 78th minute when it scored its second goal of the night.
WSU did not go away quietly, however. In the 89th minute, Weaver flew down the left side of the field and launched the ball past the Stanford goalkeeper, bringing the Cougars within one at 2-1.
The late rally by WSU proved to be too late, as a long shot from Kaitlyn Johnson flew over the crossbar in the 90th minute, sealing the win for the Cardinal.
The Cougars will next play No.17 California in Berkley on Sunday. The game will kick off at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
