Washington State soccer to host Montana in first round of NCAA Tournament

For the fourth time in five seasons, the 18th-ranked Washington State Cougars are going dancing.

During the selection show on Monday afternoon, the Cougs found out they will be hosting Montana on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for women’s soccer.

In 2018, WSU battled the Grizzlies in the first round, topping them 5-1 before falling 1-0 to second-seeded Georgetown in the second round.

The Cougars finished third in the Pac-12 with a 13-2-4 record and a conference record of 7-1-3. Their 13 wins are the second-most in WSU history.

The third-place finish was the second-best finish in the history of the program and was the closest WSU has ever been to the top of the table (three points off UCLA).

The Cougars’ .773 winning percentage was the best all-time and it was the first time they broke .700 in a season.

In 2019 – the last time WSU made the postseason – the Cougs advanced to the College Cup, falling in the semifinals to No. 2 North Carolina.

This team includes many familiar faces from that special 2019 run.

Mykiaa Minniss led WSU in minutes played in 2019 (1,769), Elyse Bennett scored 10 goals and dished out four assists, midfielder Sydney Pulver provided five goals and four assists and midfielder Elaily Hernandez-Repreza was on the field for nearly 1,000 minutes.

If WSU advances, it will play the winner of a matchup between No. 3-seeded Tennessee and Lipscomb on the following weekend, Nov. 19-21.

The College Cup will be at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Friday, December 3 and Sunday, December 5.