MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Women's Soccer are back on the road this weekend after two games at home over the weekend which saw them draw 1-1 to James Madison before beating San Jose State 2-0. 
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels (3-2-1) at #15 Washington State Cougars (5-0-0)
Thursday, September 7 
Lower Soccer Field – Pullman, Washington 
Watch Live | Live Stats
 
Saint Mary's Gaels (3-2-1) at Eastern Washington (1-4-0)
Sunday, September 9
EWU Soccer Field – Cheney, Washington
Watch Live | Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's are coming off a solid weekend in Moraga which saw them draw 1-1 with James Madison on Thursday, August 31 before putting in a solid showing against San Jose State on Sunday, September 3 which saw them win 2-0. 
 
James Madison started the game on the front foot, making a couple long passes into the box to test SMC defenders just 2 minutes in the match.
 
Saint Mary's were able to grow into the match, even though James Madison looked to dominate possession early. 
 
Chances were slim for the remainder of the first half, until the Gaels found the break through with time winding down.
 
Saint Mary's freshman Michaela Romo weaved through numerous JMU defenders before finding open grass in front of her on the left side of the field. She charged down the flank, before chipping a perfect cross to the head of Brian Salvetti who headed home the opener. Salvetti's second goal in consecutive games and third overall on the season had the Gaels leading 1-0 in the 44^th minute, giving them all the momentum heading into halftime.
 
The Gaels dominated San Jose State for the second season in a row, with goals coming from Savannah Schwarze and Michaela Romo.
 
Saint Mary's finally found the breakthrough in the 35^th minute, when the Gaels perfectly passed their way through the Spartans defense. A precise pass from Emily Jensen down the right side of the field found Briana Salvetti, who crossed the ball to a wide open Savannah Schwarze in the box. Schwarze let loose a right footed shot that found the top right corner to give SMC the 1-0 lead in the 35^th minute. 
 
Saint Mary's got off to a dream start in the 2^nd half, as the Gaels quickly found themselves up 2-0. This time, Kyllie Glock played a great pass forward to Michaela Romo. Romo originally lost possession, but she battled her way back, repossessed the ball, and found herself free of the Spartans defender and one on one with the keeper. She kept her composure and slotted the ball in the right corner of the net to give SMC the 2-0 lead in the 48^th minute. 
 
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
The Cougars are off to a perfect start in 2023, starting the season with 5 wins and no losses. Their hot start has them sitting at 15^th in NCAA United Soccer Coaches Poll. Head Coach Todd Shulenberger is in his 9^thseason in charge of the Cougars in 2023, having led them to numerous tournament bids and Pac-12 honors. Last season, Washington State finished 8-7-4 overall, narrowly missing the NCAA tournament for just the 2^ndtime in six seasons. They're looking to flip the script this time around, as their hot start has them primed for a fantastic season. The Cougars opened the season with a 3-1 win over Eastern Washington and a 3-2 win over Texas A&M. One goal was all they needed to best Portland, before beating Weber State 3-1 and San Diego State 2-1. 
 
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
The Eagles haven't started their season the way they had hoped, having won just one of their opening five matches. Last season, Eastern Washington finished 5-8-5 overall with a 2-3-3 record in the Big Sky Conference. Despite their overall record, the Eagles defended home field incredibly well, posting a 5-1-2 record at EWU Soccer Field.  Head Coach Missy Strasburg is in her third season in charge of the Eagles having taken over the program in June 2021. The Eagles have had an interesting start to their season, as they got off on the front foot in their exhibition games with a solid 2-2 draw to Washington, before picking up their first win against Trinity Western. They then lost their opening three games, before storming back with an unbelievable 16-1 win over Providence Great Falls, shattering numerous school records. Their last result saw them lose 2-0 to San Diego State. They'll travel to Boise to face off against Boise State on Thursday before hosting the Gaels at home on Sunday.