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Gonzaga University Athletics

WSU on track for postseason

It took a road trip to get the Washington State women’s soccer team back on track, but that’s fine with Cougars coach Keidane McAlpine.

After back-to-back wins at Arizona and Arizona State, the Cougars have a good chance to return to the NCAA tournament provided they can secure half the points up for grabs in their final three matches.

That’s better than the Cougars expected after falling at home to Utah and Oregon State the previous week, especially the 4-3 overtime loss to the Utes that McAlpine called “uncharacteristic” for his defensive-minded team.

“We had a bit of a rough patch, but we’ve handled those emotional losses pretty well,” said McAlpine, whose Cougars improved to 11-3-3 overall and 4-3-1 in the Pac-12.

That also puts WSU into a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference at 13 points, one point behind third- place Utah and two back of second-place Stanford.

The 1-0 win at ASU was the 21st shutout in redshirt junior goalkeeper Gurveen Clair’s career, tying a Washington State record. It was her 31st career victory to set a Cougars record.

Next up is ninth-place Cal (2-2-3 in the Pac-12) on Friday at 2 p.m. in Pullman. Second-place Stanford comes to town for an 11 a.m. match on Sunday.

McAlpine said Cal is “very athletic,” and Stanford – an NCAA semifinalist last year – “is still Stanford.”

“We have to play with great energy, be attack-minded on offense and defense and win the 50-50s.”

In the NCAA’s ratings-percentage index the Cougars are ranked 32nd, but McAlpine said they’ll be on the bubble for the 64-team NCAA tournament unless they pick up four or five points in the last three matches of the season, which ends Nov. 8 at Washington.

The NCAA tournament opens Nov. 15 at campus sites.

Gonzaga men

The Bulldogs have had 12 days to prepare for Wednesday’s West Coast Conference match at Portland.

Gonzaga (7-3-3 overall and 2-1-3 in the WCC) is in a three-way tie for second with the Pilots and Santa Clara after losing on the road to the Broncos on Oct.18.