Friday =
--Coug Soccer
in Washington DC (on Georgetown U campus)
--Coug Volleyball
in the State of Washington (Pullman, on WSU campus).
WSU
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball
Cougars will hit the court next, Friday, November 16, as WSU will host the No.
2 ranked Stanford Cardinal inside Bohler Gym with first serve slated for 7 p.m.
PT.
::::::::
WSU SOCCER
NCAA ROUND
TWO STARTS FRIDAY WITH WSU AT NO. 2 GEORGETOWN in WASHINGTON DC
The Cougs
face the No. 1 seed and No. 2 ranked Hoyas for a spot in the sweet 16.
From WSU
Sports Info
WASHINGTON
STATE (13-5-1)
at #2
(one-seed) Georgetown (18-0-3) | Fri., Nov. 16 | 10:30 a.m. PT
Watch Live | HoyaVision
Live Statistics | NCAA.com
Tickers | WeAreGeorgetown.com
INFO
>
Washington State won it's opening round matchup, 5-1, against Montana, it was
the Cougs' 13th win of the year, one shy of the program record.
> WSU
heads to the second round for the second-straight season and fifth time in 12
NCAA appearances. Last season WSU advanced to the third round for the first
time in program history.
> The
Cougs are 4-9-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Last week's win was WSU's
first at home in the NCAA improving to 1-3-1.
> WSU's
trip to D.C. marks their longest roadtrip of the season having previously been
to Minnesota and Nebraska (both victories for the Cougars).
> Four
Cougs were named All-Pac-12: Morgan Weaver (1st Team), Maddy Haro (2nd Team),
Maegan O'Neill (3rd Team), Mykiaa Minniss (All-Frosh).
> The
Cougs have never played Georgetown. Against No. 2 teams, WSU is 2-6-1 all-time
having fallen, 3-2, to No. 2 USC earlier this season.
> Maddy
Haro moved to No. 5 all-time in Pac-12 single season history with her 14th and
15th assist of the season against Montana. She ranks No. 2 in the country in
assists and assists per game (0.83)
>
Morgan Weaver moved into a tie for first in the Pac-12 with 13 goals scored
after scoring against Montana. She is No. 5 all-time in career goals scored
with 28 goals.
> 12
different Cougars have scored the team's 41 goals on the year with seven
different game-winning scorers.
> WSU
is back in the rankings after a three-week hiatus, ranking #20 in
TopDrawerSoccer.
> WSU
has dealt with a rash of bumps, bruises, and injuries to starters Ella
Dederick, Elyse Bennett, Aaqila McLyn, and Maegan O'Neill.
LAST TIME
OUT
For the
second-straight season WSU is moving on in the NCAA Tournament as the Cougars
dominated Montana, 5-1, in the opening round of play Friday night at Lower
Soccer Field. From the opening whistle to the final horn, the Cougars were in
complete control of the game, outshooting Montana 33-6, while seeing five
different players score in the win. In the opening round the Pac-12 flexed its
collective muscle as USC, UCLA, Arizona, Stanford and Washington State knocked
off the champions of the Big West, Mountain West, Summit, Western Athletic and
Big Sky conferences by a combined score of 22-1.
COUGS
HEADED TO THE SECOND ROUND
The Cougs
are headed back to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the
second-straight season after defeating Montana in the opening round last week.
It is the fifth time in 12 NCAA appearances the Cougars advanced out of the
first round. WSU sports a 4-9-4 record in the NCAA tournament. It is just the
second time in program history the Cougs have made it out of the first round in
back-to-back seasons, the first being in 2009 and 2010.
Last
season, WSU went 1-1-1 and for the first time in program history, moved on to
the NCAA Third Round. WSU bested #8 UCF, 1-0, in the opening round and #20
Tennessee on penalty kicks in the second round. The PK victory was the first
for the Cougs since 2011 after losing their last two shootouts in the
postseason in 2012 and 2013. WSU's postseason came to an end in the third round
against #16 Florida in a 1-0, 2OT, loss in Gainesville.
:::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
Washington
State QB Gardner Minshew recognized as semifinalist for Walter Camp Player of
Year
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 14, 2018, 10:23 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
At Martin
Stadium, Pullman
➤Saturday,
Nov. 17: Arizona Wildcats at Washington State Cougars, 7:30 p.m. PST TV: ESPN
PULLMAN –
Washington State standout quarterback Gardner Minshew is in the mix for another
national award.
Minshew’s
name was added Wednesday to the 2018 Walter Camp Award’s “Players to Watch”
list – essentially a semifinalist list for the award given to the nation’s top
college football player.
Minshew is
the only Pac-12 player on the watch list, comprised of 15 names, but he’s the
second Washington State player in two years to earn the distinction. Defensive
tackle Hercules Mata’afa was named a finalist for the award last season.
All 130
Football Subdivision coaches and sports information directors vote on the
Walter Camp Player of the Year, the fourth-oldest award in the country. Five
finalists will be announced on Nov. 28 and the winner of the award will be
broadcast live on ESPN SportsCenter on Dec. 7.
In
addition to the Walter Camp list, Minshew is also a semifinalist for the Davey
O’Brien National Quarterback Award (nation’s best college quarterback), a
semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (college player of the year), was named to
the top 15 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (top senior or fourth-year
junior) and to the Midseason National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List
by the College Football Performance Awards.
WSU coach
Mike Leach thinks his first-year starter has done a fine job handling the
accolades and media attention that have consumed his first and only season on
the Palouse.
“I think
he’s a mature guy, he’s been at this for a while,” Leach said. “I think that
helps, but then the other thing is he doesn’t have any secrets or agendas or
anything like that, so it’s pretty easy for him to answer questions, because
he’s going to say what he planned to say anyway.”
The No. 8
Cougars have flourished this season with Minshew, the fifth-year graduate
transfer from East Carolina, running Leach’s Air Raid offense. Leach phoned
Minshew in the spring, asking the Mississippi native, who was then committed to
Alabama, if he wanted to come to Pullman and “lead the country in passing
yards.”
Minshew,
with 3,852 yards, is not only doing that through 10 games, but he has a
508-yard cushion on the nation’s second-leading passer, Jordan Ta’amu of Ole
Miss. The WSU quarterback’s 385.2 yards per game lead the nation, as do his
393.8 offensive yards per game.
His
Pac-12-leading 29 passing TDs rank sixth in the country. He’s the only
quarterback in college football with five games of 400-plus passing yards.
Minshew has only been sacked seven times this season, and he’s rushed for three
TDs.
The other
14 players named Walter Camp semifinalists are Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen,
Georgia defensive back Deandre Baker, Michigan linebacker Devin Bush, Clemson
running back Travis Etienne, West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, Memphis
running back Darrell Henderson, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, UCF
quarterback McKenzie Milton, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, Alabama
quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, Notre Dame
defensive tackle Jesse Tillery and Alabama nose guard Quinnen Williams.
::::::::::::::
Football:
Pac-12
picks: Lots on the line in five of the six games across conference landscape
this weekend
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 14, 2018, 9:41 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of S-R of Spokane
A big
weekend with big ramifications is on tap for the Pac-12 Conference.
In the
South Division, there’s still plenty of sorting to do. Four teams in the
division can gain bowl eligibility by winning this Saturday. Three teams in the
division are still hunting for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, as are two in
the North. One of those could be eliminated by Saturday night if it can’t take
care of business against a heavy underdog.
Here’s how
we see all six games playing out Saturday.
Utah
at
Colorado
Utah by 7
1/2: The confidence of the Buffaloes and their fan base is at an all-time low
after five consecutive losses. The Utes, meanwhile, are playing for a Pac-12
title game. I suspect both of those things will show up this Saturday in
Boulder. The pick: Utah 35, Colorado 24.
USC
at UCLA
USC by 3
1/2: This is now the second-most exciting football rivalry game in California
these days, especially given the form of two programs that have too much pride
to share a combined record of 7-13. For now, one still has more talent and
tradition than the other – and it’s the one I expect to prevail in Pasadena.
The pick: USC 24, UCLA 14.
Oregon
State
at
Washington
UW by 33
1/2: Former Washington offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith may know the
Huskies better than any other coach in this conference, but don’t forget that
they know him, too. It’s an unsuccessful game for the home team if Jake
Browning, Myles Gaskin and the UW starters aren’t resting by the beginning of
the fourth quarter. The pick: UW 48, OSU 14.
Stanford
at Cal
Stanford
by 2: This Northern California rivalry game should be more intriguing than the
other one. Stanford found a breakout star in Colby Parkinson last weekend
against Oregon State, but Cal has played better defense than anyone else in the
conference these last three weeks. The pick: Stanford 27, Cal 20.
Arizona
State at Oregon
Oregon by
3 1/2: A matchup of two 6-4 programs that are under the direction of first-year
coaches will also feature the conference’s two best wide receivers. The guy
throwing to Dillon Mitchell is better than the one throwing to N’Keal Harry, so
I’m taking the Ducks over the Sun Devils in Eugene. The pick: Oregon 44,
Arizona State 38.
Arizona at
Washington
State
WSU by 9
1/2: Khalil Tate shouldn’t be the focal point for the Cougars this time around
– at least not the only one, as Arizona’s quarterback may have been during his
mind-blowing sophomore season. J.J. Taylor has been one of the best running
backs in the country over the past three games and is capable of blowing a game
open by himself. Wait a couple of days for my prediction, but I doubt the
Cougars will cruise into Apple Cup week without a test from the Wildcats. The
pick: will be in Saturday’s paper.
Theo
Lawson’s picks
Last week:
4-1 straight up, 3-2 against the spread
Overall:
54-19 straight up, 31-34 against the spread
:::::::::::::
Frank-less
Cougs flop against Seattle U
Game marks
WSU's first loss to the Redhawks since 1978-79
Lewiston
Trib and wire reports
KENT,
Wash. - Washington State's star forward Robert Franks lingered on the sideline,
out with a sore foot that prevented him from entering Wednesday night's game
against Seattle U.
So the
Cougs didn't get anything out of him, nor did they really get much overarching
production out of anyone in their flop of a loss to the lowly Redhawks, 78-69.
It was the
Cougars first loss the Redhawks since the 1978-79 season.
WSU (1-1)
couldn't muster any kind of consistency on offense - it shot under 30 percent
from the floor, 25 percent from deep and only one of its newcomers assembled
anything of note, while the mainstays fizzled.
Isaiah
Wade, a juco transfer, was that lone bright spot; he shot 50 percent and ended
with a double-double (17 points, 10 boards).
Meanwhile,
Seattle boasted four relatively hot-shooting players in double figures, and the
Redhawks finished over 50 percent on the night.
In
particular, Terrell Brown - a bench player - canned six of his nine attempts,
went to the line a litany of times, and finished with 21 points.
Perhaps
the only aspect where the Cougs gained an edge was at the line, where they
converted 21 of their 24 freebie attempts. The bulk of those fouls came after
WSU attempted a run-and-gun transition style of attack - as it'd done to good
measure against Nicholls - and got bumped in the paint.
The Cougs
had 34 points in transition against the Colonels, but mustered only seven
against the 'Hawks. They had their chances, though, given Seattle's proneness
to turnovers (17).
Led by
consecutive Viont'e Daniels 3s, WSU took a three-point lead early in the second
half. However, a 9-0 Seattle run, perpetrated via listless Cougs defense,
ultimately made the difference - WSU led for only two minutes total.
A
last-ditch effort down the stretch was hushed by Brown's consistency in getting
to, then converting from the line.
Billed as
sharpshooters from beyond the arc, the Cougars failed to live up to that
expectation in this one - they went 6-of-24 in that regard.
Daniels
finished with 11 points, but went 3-for-12; freshman CJ Elleby - who fared well
against Nicholls - went 3-of-16 for 12 points, and Carter Skaggs knocked in 11
on 40 percent shooting.
Seattle
came into the tilt ranked 247th, via kenpom.com. WSU gets another unassuming
foe next when it faces No. 313 Cal Poly on Monday at 6 p.m. in Beasley
Coliseum.
WASHINGTON
ST. (1-1)
Elleby
3-16 6-7 12, Pollard 0-0 0-0 0, Chidom 1-5 4-4 6, Daniels 3-12 3-3 11, Ali 1-7
6-6 9, Kunc 0-1 0-0 0, Wade 8-16 1-3 17, Cannon 0-1 0-0 0, Skaggs 4-10 0-0 11,
Robinson 1-3 1-1 3. Totals 21-71 21-24 69.
SEATTLE
(3-1)
Carter 4-5
1-2 9, Means 3-8 3-4 11, Jones 7-15 1-2 15, Kavas 6-14 0-0 14, Grigsby 1-2 3-4
5, Hundal 0-1 0-0 0, Brown 6-9 9-11 21, Hopkins 0-0 0-0 0, Nettles 1-1 0-0 3,
Da Campo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-55 17-23 78.
Halftime-Seattle
41-35. 3-Point Goals-Washington St. 6-24 (Skaggs 3-7, Daniels 2-6, Ali 1-4,
Kunc 0-1, Elleby 0-2, Chidom 0-2, Wade 0-2), Seattle 5-19 (Means 2-3, Kavas
2-8, Nettles 1-1, Brown 0-1, Hundal 0-1, Grigsby 0-1, Jones 0-4). Fouled
Out-Means. Rebounds-Washington St. 40 (Chidom, Wade 10), Seattle 39 (Brown,
Carter 8). Assists-Washington St. 8 (Daniels 4), Seattle 11 (Brown 3). Total
Fouls-Washington St. 21, Seattle 22. A-1,977 (6,500).
::::::::::
Leach,
Sumlin spreading the spread offense
After
meeting two decades ago, coaches, teams will clash Saturday
By Dale
Grummert, Trib of Lewiston
In the
1990s, then-Washington State coach Mike Price could count on two hands the
number of college football programs in the country that were committed to
spread offenses and one-back sets.
So it was
relatively easy for him to send out invitations and gather coaches from these
programs in order to exchange ideas and talk shop. They would meet for a
weekend every year for a fairly informal "one-back clinic" in Pullman,
exchanging X's and O's by day and probably colorful stories by night.
It was at
one of these gatherings that Mike Leach first met Kevin Sumlin.
Two
decades later, they're not only still friends, they're among the most
successful proponents of spread-offense schemes, in their highly contrasting
ways. They'll clash for the second time as head coaches this week when
Washington State, now led by Leach, 57, plays host to an Arizona club under the
first-year leadership of Sumlin, 54.
Kickoff is
7:30 p.m. Saturday at Martin Stadium as the No. 8 Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) try
to stay in contention for a berth in the four-team national playoffs. Arizona
(5-5, 4-3) started slowly this season but has won its last two games and can
become bowl-eligible with another victory.
By now, of
course, countless college and high-school teams are either wholly or partially
committed to spread offenses and single-back sets. But those concepts were
still cutting-edge when Price took the WSU reins in 1989 and initiated the
one-back clinic a few years later.
"There
were only half a dozen teams, maybe 10, maybe a dozen teams in the United
States that were running it," the now-retired Price said by phone this
week from his home near Coeur d'Alene. "We liked to get together and talk
about how they (opponents) were defensing it, what plays we like to run out of
it, what plays we don't like to run out of it. And just talk football. So we
put on a clinic, and invited just those schools that were interested in the
one-back."
Memories
are a bit hazy, but it was probably for the 1998 edition of the clinic, shortly
after Price had guided the Cougars to the Rose Bowl that year, that Leach and
Sumlin separately made the trek to Pullman as assistant coaches for Kentucky
and Purdue, respectively. Also attending that year, according to Leach, was
Noel Mazzone, who is now Sumlin's offensive coordinator at Arizona.
All of
them were well-established converts to the spread-offense gospel.
Leach and
Hal Mumme had formulated their Air Raid concepts a few years earlier, blending
ideas from coaches like Lavell Edwards, Mouse Davis and Dennis Erickson - the
last of whom, like Price, had learned the one-back approach from one its its
prime developers, Jack Elway. Sumlin, for his part, had been a graduate
assistant for Price in 1989-90 and was now working at Purdue for Joe Tiller,
who had been Price's offensive coordinator at Wazzu.
They knew
of one another's reputations, even if they hadn't actually met.
"So I
walked through the door, and there's Kevin Sumlin and Mazzone," Leach
recalled this week. "There they are - see, I got to meet them in person
one day. How about that? Now, I was a little more thrilled to meet Mike Price,
because he was a head coach and had been to the Rose Bowl and everything. But I
was delighted to meet Noel and Kevin as well."
The
smallness of their cult, along with a sense that it would soon be expanding,
perhaps heightened their camaraderie.
"You
got to know people scattered all around the country," Leach said.
"Then folks stayed in touch and knew each other after that too. You'd
clinic all day - everybody would talk about their schemes or whatever. You'd
take notes when the other guys were talking. I can't remember where we ate.
Then everybody would go to the Sports Page (a tavern in downtown Pullman). So
two nights of the Sports Page where you'd get to know each other."
During
Leach's decade as head coach at Texas Tech, Sumlin went 3-4 against the Air
Raid guru as an assistant at Texas A&M and Oklahoma, then defeated him
29-28 as head coach at Houston in 2009.
"I
know him really well," Leach said, "and he's a fantastic guy. And we
do share a lot of the same philosophies."
Sumlin was
asked this week if he had a good Mike Leach story.
"Not
one I can share," he said. "I've got plenty of good ones."
The game
in Pullman this week will illustrate the diversification of one-back schemes in
recent years. Although Leach is making increasing use of two-back sets this
season, he remains loyal to his Air Raid principles and is throwing the ball on
71 percent of his offensive plays. Sumlin over the years has gravitated toward
spread-option tactics and is passing only 43 percent of the time this year.
But
they're winning at about the same rate. Leach is 213 games into his
head-coaching career, first at Texas Tech and for the past seven seasons at
WSU, and boasts a winning percentage of .615. Sumlin has been the boss for 139
contests - at Houston, Texas A&M and now Arizona - and stands at .654.
Price, who
coached at WSU through 2002, said he conducted the one-back clinic more or less
through the final decade of his time there. Later he resumed it at Texas-El
Paso for a couple of years, giving new prominence to the spread-option
spinoffs. Other versions of the clinic have sprung up elsewhere, with Mumme and
Sumlin both playing leadership roles.
But the
bonds formed during those early years of the Pullman clinic were possibly the
tightest.
"It's
kind of cool that Mike would remember that," Price said of Leach's
recollections of Sumlin and the clinic. "We did develop friendships like
that around the country. So we kind of helped each other out
::::::::::::::::::::::::
Recap: WSU
suffers embarrassing loss to Seattle U, 78-69
The
offense couldn’t find its footing with Robert Franks on the sidelines.
By Jeff
Nusser
Coug
Center
Nov 14,
2018, 10:08pm PST
With stud
scorer Robert Franks on the sideline in sweatpants, the Washington State
Cougars suffered what might be the most embarrassing loss of the Ernie Kent
era, falling 78-69 to the Seattle University Redhawks on Wednesday night at the
ShoWare Center in Kent.
The
Redhawks entered the game ranked No. 248 at kenpom.com, and even with the
absence of Franks, Seattle U is a team that a Pac-12 team should handle fairly
easily.
Worst
losses of the Ernie Kent era
Rankings
are via kenpom.com
Nov. 14,
2018: at No. 247 Seattle 78, WSU 69
Dec. 9,
2017: at No. 240 UTEP 76, WSU 69
Dec. 3
2014: vs. No. 231 Idaho 77, WSU 71
Nov. 27,
2016: vs. No. 214 San Jose State 88, WSU 76
Dec. 10,
2015: at No. 214 Idaho 78, WSU 74
There was
nothing easy about this one — WSU led for less than two minutes in the entire
game.
Without
their go-to player, the Cougars struggled mightily to find any kind of
offensive rhythm: They shot just 29.6 percent overall, including 25 percent
from three-point range (6-of-24). About the only thing that kept them in it was
a 21-of-24 performance from the free throw line.
Freshman
CJ Elleby, coming off a nice debut in the season-opening win over Nicholls
State, showed why it’s rough counting on such a young player; he tied for the
team lead with 16 shots but could only convert three of them, including missing
both threes. He finished with 12 points.
Senior
Viont’e Daniels wasn’t much better; he was 3-of-12 for 11 points.
The lone
offensive bright spot was newcomer Isaiah Wade, a junior college transfer; he
finished with 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting while also collecting 10 rebounds —
including five on the offensive end.
The
performance was a huge contrast from the opener, in which the defense forced
lots of turnovers and converted those in to easy fast break buckets. The
Redhawks turned it over plenty — 17 times! — but the Cougs were only able to
turn them into seven fast break points. They were only 8-of-20 on their layup
attempts, and there was only one dunk (below).
It
appeared for a moment that WSU might actually make a move to win the game in
the second half. After trailing by six at the break, the Cougs fell behind by
nine with just over 16 minutes left in the game. But Daniels led a surge,
hitting back-to-back threes, the second of which was punctuated by an and-one.
The game was tied a moment later when Wade did this:
Tie game.
And the Cougs took a three-point lead a moment later when newcomer Jervae
Robinson converted his own and-one. There was a feeling that maybe WSU was
ready to take control of the game.
It was
their last lead. Seattle U went on a 9-0 run of its own, and while the Cougs
would maintain contact for the next few minutes, the Redhawks outscored WSU
19-11 over the final 7:29 to put the game away.
Kent said
postgame that Franks had a sore foot that needed to rest.
The Cougs
will next be in action on Monday back in Pullman against Cal Poly. The Mustangs
are ranked No. 313 by kenpom.com.
[crosses
fingers]
:::::::::::
WSU Soccer Reloads With Nine New Cougars
From WSU
Soccer 11/14/2018
PULLMAN -
With the opening of the early signing period for NCAA National Letters of
Intent, Washington State soccer head coach Todd Shulenberger announced the
signings of nine new Cougars for the 2019 season.
Joining
WSU's ranks for next season are: Sophie Dimry (Carlsbad, Calif.), MacKenzie
Frimpong-Ellertson (Vancouver, Wash.), Aly Hay (Vancouver, B.C. Canada),
Kaitlyn Kowalchuk (Henderson, Nev.), Grayson Lynch (Castle Rock, Colo.), Skye
McMillon (Phoenix, Ariz.), Bridget Rieken (Coeur d' Alene, Idaho), Liz Weis
(Carlisle, Penn.), and Rose Young (Des Moines, Wash.).
Sophie
Dimry | Defender
Coming to
the Cougars out of La Costa Canyon High School, Dimry did not play high school
soccer while playing for one of the top club soccer programs on the West Coast,
the San Diego Surf in the US Soccer Development Academy. Last season, Dimry and
the Surf finished second in the Southwest Division going 26-5-1 in the regular
season to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The Surf finished the season
with 126 goals scored, the second most among all academy teams, while allowing
40 for a +86 goal differential. Dimry follows in the footsteps of her brother,
CJ, who was a two-time letterwinning receiver for the Cougars' football team
and graduated in 2017.
MacKenzie
Frimpong-Ellertson | Forward
Born to
play soccer, Frimpong-Ellertson will come to WSU after earning her diploma from
King's Way Christian High School. In four seasons of varsity soccer which began
as just an eighth grader, Frimpong-Ellertson started every contest for Knights
as she proved to be one of the best players in the state of Washington. As just
an eighth grader she would score 15 goals while assisting on eight more while
leading the school to its first district title. The young forward would only
get better with each passing year culminating in a 37 goal, 31 assist senior
season that included a league and district title. A three-time All-Trico League
MVP and two-time first team all-state honoree (the awards have not been given
out for the 2018 season as of the writing of this article), Frimpong-Ellertson
finished her illustrious high school career with 120 goals and 79 assists.
Playing for her mother, Tina, with the FC Salmon Creek Nemesis,
Frimpong-Ellertson won five Washington/Oregon State Cups as well a regional
championship. Additionally, she played for the Crossfire in the Developmental
Academy alongside of Rose Young where she won the Northwest Conference to
advance to the Elite in the national tournament. Both of Frimpong-Ellertson's
parents played collegiate soccer at Washington before going on to play
professionally. Her mother is the all-time leading scorer in Washington history
and played for the United States at the 2007 World Cup.
Aly Hay |
Goalkeeper
One of the
top goalkeepers in youth soccer, Hay comes to WSU out of the ranks of Canadian
soccer and will graduate from Burnaby Central Secondary School. As just a
freshman, Hay led Fusion FC to a provincial championship and a berth into the
national championships. A year later, and as part of Coastal FC, Hay would give
up just seven goals in 17 games en route to an undefeated campaign and league
title. As a junior, Hay was selected for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
Academy, the former club of current Cougs Shanya Dhindsa and Ebony Clarke. She
played with the TSS Rovers in the team's inaugural season in the Women's
Premier Soccer League and earned NorthWest All-Conference honors after the team
finished second in its division. For the last two years, Hay has been an
invitee to Canada's U-17 national camp.
Kaitlyn
Kowalchuk | Defender
The newest
Cougar out of Nevada, Kowalchuk will graduate from Coronado High School in the
spring. Playing two seasons for the aptly named Cougars, Kowalchuk was named
the Southeast League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior for the
second-straight season. Kowalchuk's defense led Coronado to a 19-1-3 overall
record, finishing second in the league. In each of her two seasons, Kowalchuk
was named all-league and all-region while taking home all-state honors as a
junior. As of this release the all-state teams have not been announced for
2018. In club play, Kowalchuk has been the starting centerback for the Nevada
ODP team while also playing for the Heat FC in the Elite Clubs National League
(ECNL).
Grayson
Lynch | Forward
Joining
the ranks of the Cougars' from Colorado, Lynch will graduate in 2019 from Rock
Canyon High School. She has three seasons of high school soccer under her belt
with her senior season still to come in the spring. As a junior, Lynch and Rock
Canyon took home a Continental League title after posting an impressive 16-3
record on the field. The Jaguars would bow out of the state tournament in the
semifinals, falling to the eventual state champions, 3-2, in overtime. At the
club level, Lynch plays for Real Colorado U19 ECNL. Real Colorado was the
training ground for Pac-12 All-Freshman honoree Mykiaa Minniss and has three
current players in the Pac-12.
Skye
McMillon | Forward
A
soon-to-be graduate of Liberty High School, Skye McMillon played just one year
of high school soccer, instead focusing on club play for the last few seasons.
As a member of the Scottsdale Blackhawks and Phoenix Rising, McMillon has
played in the ECNL, winning a Red Division title as a sophomore while also
taking home three-straight region championships. She has earned first team
all-district twice in three seasons while playing up top for her club team.
Outside of soccer, McMillon has been a member of her school's student council
while sporting a 3.7 GPA. McMillon comes from an athletic family as her father,
Tim, played cornerback for the Chicago Bears making McMillon the second
daughter of the NFL to play for the Cougs joining Elyse Bennett.
Bridget
Rieken | Midfielder/Defender
Coming
from just up the road, Rieken will join the Cougars after finishing her high
school career at Lake City High School. A three sport athlete, Rieken excelled
on the soccer field for the Timberwolves in the defensive third as both a
defender and midfielder. In four seasons on the pitch, Rieken won four Inland
Empire League titles while taking home one state title as a sophomore in 2016.
In total, the big defender helped lead her team to 53 wins over her four
seasons while earning league MVP honors in each of her final two seasons. On
the club scene, Rieken has been a member of the Thorns North FC and the Thorns
Boise making the national finals in the 2018 President's Cup. She has been a
regular in the ODP National Camp earning a spot on the National Camp All-Star
team in 2016. In addition to her prowess on the soccer field, Rieken has earned
all-league honors on the basketball court while qualifying for the state
championships on the track as part of the 4x200, 400, and 100 relays at Lake
City. In the classroom, Rieken sports a 3.98 GPA and is in the top-10% academically
at her high school.
Liz Weis |
Midfielder/Forward
A
four-year letterwinner at Carlisle High School, Weis joins the Cougars after
one of the most successful careers in Thundering Herd history. Recently putting
the finishing touches on her high school career, Weis put her name in the
Carlisle record books as she became a member of the 100-point club as the
scorer posted 102 points on 38 goals and 26 assists in four seasons. She led
the Thundering Herd in scoring as both a sophomore and junior while earning
three league all-star selections including two-straight first team awards. At
the club level, Weis has played in the Eagle FC program while spending five
years in the ODP. Additionally, Weis has showed off her speed as a member of
the Carlisle track team as she qualified for the state indoor championships in
the 4x400 as a junior. Weis has a special connection to WSU as she spent her
four seasons playing for coach Shulenberger's cousin, Greg Clippinger, in
Shulenberger's hometown.
Rose Young
| Defender
A
soon-to-be graduate of Shorewood Christian High School, Young has been a part
of the US Soccer Development Academy focusing solely on club play. As a member
of the Crossfire Premier Young helped lead her club to a first place finish in
the Northwest Division last season alongside of Cougar signee MacKenzie
Frimpong-Ellertson. The team finished with the academy's top record at 22-0-2,
outscoring opponents, 95-13, to earn the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Prior to
Crossfire joining the academy, the club played in the ECNL where Young was a
part of division and regional club championships while playing all the way to
the national finals in 2015. As a defender, Young has proven herself among the
best in the Northwest earning an invite to the US National Training Center.
#
