MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's women's soccer team is heading to Washington this week to take on Washington State, Wednesday, October 9th at 7:00 PM, and Gonzaga on Saturday, October 12th at 7:00 PM.
GAME INFORMATION AND COVERAGE
Date: Wednesday, October 9th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Lower Soccer Field, Pullman Washington
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Stream: ESPN+
Date: Saturday, October 12th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Luger Field, Spokane Washington
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Stream: ESPN+
GAELS RECAP
Saint Mary's came out strong in the Oregon State match with eight first half shots. Junior forward
Tessa Salvestrin had shots on goal in the 12th and 24th minute as she looked for her team leading seventh goal of the season. UTSA transfer
Brittany Holden would come off the bench and make her Gaels debut as she recorded a shot and forced a save in the 29th minute. Oregon State keeper Mya Sanchez had five big saves in the first half, keeping SMC off the board.
Head coach
Theresa Romagnolo went with the same starting eleven from Wednesday's match against Portland and they were dominant once again with
Emma Barthel,
Savannah Schwarze and
Camryn Cruz creating chances all match long in the team's midfield. Center backs
Amari Hicks and
Khalia Gathright held the Beavers to just three shots in the first half.
Sydney Middaugh came alive for the Gaels in the second half as she generated three shots and forced a pair of crucial saves from the Oregon State keeper. Middaugh went on a near 40-yard run in the 53rd minute and rifled a powerful shot just over the bar. Then in the 80th minute, she would take on multiple Beaver defenders and cut inside to have a left footed shot that was acrobatically pushed away for a Gaels corner.
Saint Mary's has recorded 20 shots in two of their last three matches and 15+ in their last four. The Gaels have found their identity offensively and continue to put up good numbers with over 30 shots and three goals in their last two matches. Redshirt freshman keeper
Kate Plachy finished the match with three saves and recorded her fourth shutout of the season tied for the most in the WCC.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
The Cougars and the Gaels last met each other in early September of 2023 where the Gaels defeated Washington State 1-0 in their home field. Cougars have a 2-3-2 all time record against SMC, with two matches going into overtime, one ending in a tie and the other ending in a loss for Washington State. This season, the Cougars are sitting at 4-4-4 overall, matching up against three ranked teams. Earlier in the season, they fell short to No. 2 Stanford 0-2, tied against No. 7 Utah State 0-0, and just last week came up short by one goal to No. 13 Pepperdine.
After the 0-0 draw against No. 7 Utah State, Cougars goalkeeper Nadia Cooper earned West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week. This is her second Conference weekly honor this season and fourth in her career. This was her third cleansheet of the year with five saves in the match, becoming the first goalkeeper to hold the top-10 Aggies scoreless this season. This shutout is her 27th career shutout, one shy of fourth in WSU goalkeeping history.
ABOUT GONZAGA
The Gaels and the Zags have a long history of match ups with SMC holding the all time record of 15-14-2. Throughout the history of games, six of seven matches have gone into double overtime. The all time record in these overtime matchups is 2-2-3. Gonzaga has won five of the last six match ups against the Gaels, where SMC ended their five game win streak in 2023. This year, the Zags are 5-6-1 overall, 1-2 in conference. After two years as an assistant coach for Gonzaga, Katie Benz was promoted to the head coach position in December 2023. Redshirt Senior Paige Alexander is Gonzaga's leading scorer with four goals this season, two being against No. 13 Pepperdine. Redshirt Senior goalkeeper Lauren Towne has played and started in all 12 matches this season, recording 47 saves and three shutouts.
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