Aggies draw with Cougars, unbeaten streak remains
The No. 7 Utah State Aggies (8-0-1) dueled with the Washington State Cougars (3-3-3) at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field on Thursday Sept. 19, ending in a 0-0 draw.
The Cougars held the Aggies scoreless, becoming the first team to achieve the feat this season. The Aggies were able to record their 6th clean sheet of the season, the first as an Aggie for the graduate transfer goalkeeper Cora Brendle.
The game featured physical play from both sides, with 25 total fouls being committed by both teams and four yellow cards being assessed.
When asked about the physical play, USU Head Coach Manny Martins said, “It was a physical game. They are a team that plays with a lot of spirit. I don’t think anything’s dirty. They just play with a lot
of spirit, and we do too.”
The Utah State offense came out in the second half looking energized after only recording five shots in the first half. The Aggies outshot the Cougars 10-2 in the second half, creating many opportunities
late in the game.
“You know, in the end, I think we just ran out of time, and I think if we get five more minutes, maybe it is a different result,” Coach Martins said.
Although Utah State did not achieve the desired result, its performance against its PAC-12 foe is plenty to be proud of.
Known as a defensive team, the Aggies returned to their dominance by holding another opponent scoreless after conceding five goals in the previous two games.
“We definitely haven’t been impressed with our recent performance in giving up goals because that’s not usually our style,”said senior defender Addy Weichers. “We made sure to put a big emphasis on putting defensive pressure on our opponent.”
Following today’s tilt against Grand Canyon, the Aggies will enter conference play in the Mountain West. A year removed from a campaign that saw them crowned as the Mountain West tournament champions, the Aggies are looking to repeat.
“We are looking to make a statement that we are the best in the Mountain West, and a championship is something we are definitely going for,” Weichers added when asked about the importance of preparation heading into conference play.
The Aggies will travel to Phoenix, Arizona to take on the Grand Canyon Antelopes in a showdown between two defensive-minded teams this Sunday at 7 p.m. Utah State will return to its home field on Oct. 3, playing host to the San Diego State Aztecs.