In November under the lights of their newly renovated field, the WSU women’s soccer team competed in their fourth straight NCAA tournament, a first for the Cougars. They played tough against Seattle University in the polar chill, losing by one goal in double overtime.
The debuts of both the rebuilt Lower Soccer Field and head coach Steve Nugent came back in August with a 3-0 win versus Texas Christian University. Nugent and the team went 10–4–4 for the season, led by a group of seniors that boasts 48 victories, the most in school history during a four-year span.
Among them was goalkeeper Gurveen Clair, who wrapped up her career as the Cougars’ all-time leader in goals against average (0.72), wins (44), and shutouts (33). Her teammate, midfielder/forward Jocelyn Jeffers, finished with the eighth-most goals and points in WSU soccer history.
Coach Nugent comes to the Cougars from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where his squad captured the Southern Conference regular season title. He also worked as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia.
The $2.4 million makeover of the field brought night games to Cougar soccer for the first time, along with refinished turf and a new scoreboard.
Off the field, the WSU soccer team excelled as well. They received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award for 2013–14 with a 3.17 GPA. Washington State has achieved this honor nine times in the last eleven seasons.
Nine student-athletes were named to Pac-12 All-Academic teams in November, led by redshirt-sophomore defender Susie White, an education major with a 3.89 GPA.