Cougars garner attention
You could say it was their week.
The Washington State women’s soccer team jumped into the rankings in three national polls this week, marking the first time since 2002 that the Cougars have been ranked in a poll and the first time in school history WSU has been in three polls in the same week.
The Cougars are ranked 11th by Soccer America, 23rd by Soccer Buzz, and 25th by Soccer Times.
The Cougars are also among schools that received votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas poll, considered the most credible of the polls by coaches.
The Soccer America ranking equals the highest ranking in Cougars history, tying the NSCAA/adidas honor from 1993.
Washington State (4-0-1) is unbeaten through five matches for the second time in school history. The Cougars won their first five matches in 2002.
“The rankings are a good indicator we are moving in the right direction,” WSU coach Matt Potter said. “I’m pleased that everyone at WSU, especially our student-athletes, is receiving recognition.
“It’s flattering that people outside the program are seeing what we thought all along. It’s a privilege and it’s nice to be recognized, but the true mark of our success is going to be Nov. 12 when our regular season is complete.”
Another honor came the Cougars’ way this week with senior goalkeeper Brynn Bemis being named the Pac-10 Women’s Soccer Player of the Week.
A Coeur d’Alene native, Bemis was named defensive MVP and goalkeeper MVP at the Notre Dame Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic last week.
She had seven saves in the Cougars’ 1-0 upset over No. 16 Oklahoma State and made five saves in a 2-1 double-overtime win over Princeton.
The shutout was the ninth of her career, tying for fourth on the WSU all-time list. She raised her win total to 11, tied for No. 6 in Cougars history, and moved her save total to 86, eighth on the WSU career list.
Bulldogs remain ranked
The Gonzaga men stayed in two polls and dropped out of two this week after splitting games last weekend at the Panther Invitational in Milwaukee.
The Bulldogs (3-3-0) dropped a game to the University of Wisconsin, No. 20 in the Soccer America poll last week, and defeated the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the split.
In the Soccer America rankings, the Bulldogs dropped from No. 12 to a three-way tie at No. 25 with Wisconsin and the University of Washington. They also fell eight spots from No. 21 to come in 29th in the College Soccer News poll.
The Bulldogs received votes in the NSCAA/adidas and soccertimes.com polls, in which they were previously ranked.
Notes
Eastern Washington’s Cyeeta Mott is closing in on the school record for goals and points. Mott has 10 goals and 25 points, one away from tying the records held by Jennie Summers. … Freshman Ashley Riley was named tournament MVP for the Gonzaga women after scoring the game-winning goal to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory over Alabama-Birmingham at the Vanderbilt Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., last weekend.