PBP: Washington State 2018

2018/11/06 Tue:
Morgan Weaver wins her 2nd consecutive Pac-12 OPotW for the hat trick vs. Washington. Her 3rd OPotW award in 2018 is WSU's new record.

Meanwhile, WSU is still RV, at &33 this week, right around our RPI of 32 and as-if-#8 seed in #1 Georgetown's region. (If we both win, we're their 1-8 match-up)

2018/11/07 Wed:
Four Cougars are named to the 2018 All-Pac-12 teams!
1st Team: MF (jr.) #6 Morgan Weaver (12 goals = T-2nd Pac-12)
2nd Team: LB (sr.) #19 Maddy Haro (13 assists = 4th in D1, 0.76 apg = 2nd in D1)
3rd Team: MF (sr.) #24 Maegan O'Neill
Freshmen: CB (fr. ) #23 Mykiaa Minniss

2018/11/08 Thu:
GK (r.jr) #25 Rachel Thompson is named to the CoSIDA 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 1st team.

2018/11/09 Fri 19:00 PST:
NCAA D1 Round 1 <== (yes, this implies that there is a D2-R2 in the galaxy)
(+12=1-5) &33 Washington State - Montana (+7=6-8)
Stream: WSU Live Stream
Stats: NCAA D1-R1

weather.com says: 36°F (down to 32°F by 21:00), 7 mph (feels like 31°F). It could be worse: this year, there's no ice melt mud slush over 1/3 of the field.

WSU defeated Montana 3-1 in Pullman way back on 09/14, when it was hot outside and everybody was healthy. Tonight, we're still without GK #00 Dederick, FW #13 Bennett, RB #20 McLyn, and MF #24 O'Neill for injuries, plus FW (so.) #3 Gomera-Stevens serves a 1-match ban for a red card vs. Washington. Next five up!

On my way now

 

Actually, with Lower Soccer Field in a bit of a bowl surrounded by hills and buildings, there was nil wind all night. Two blankets sufficed

1H 0-0 WSU shoot often, mostly from ~box top, mostly blocked by defenders in the way. We shoot a lot.

22' 0-0 Haro (as MF) passes from 12m left touch to box top mid-left, Weaver follows and shoots one-touch right foot toward back right low, GK Howard dives (her) left and blocks ball straight up to 1m right post, defender heads over endline right.

22' | @morgan_weaver8 with the laser but an amazing save keeps the Cougs off the board | 0-0#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/D5X6B1yxIv

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

36' 1-0 #17 (fr!) Hailey Smith right throw-in at 10m, to 5m mid-right, #16 Adams heads it back out. Smith collects again at 7m right touch, waits for Adams to come out and face up at 6m wide right. Smith jukes endline around her, steps past a late left foot reach-poke try, tightropes along endline right to 0.5m mid-right, rolls a ground cross to 1m 2-right. #10 Alger is 1-v-1 fronting #12 Hansen and GK Howard, left foot tap nutmegs Hansen (from the morning-after recap), half-speed roller into 1/3 left back low.

HIGHLIGHT | @hailey_smitty does the work and Alger taps it home for the finish | 1-0 WSU#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/S67cnjixvs

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

HT 1-0. WSU 22(5)-(1)3 shots(sog), 2-1 corners, 7-4 fouls.

 

49' 2-0 WSU emphasizes short passing up central lanes, trying to hit runners in stride, with wide trailers following for inside-out passes into space. #22 Whieldon wins a ball around circle left, short pass to Weaver in a ring of defenders at 30m arc right. Weaver touches and runs toward mid-right, then bends her run back to the left, wrong-foots #21 Rogers to arc tangent right, shoots mighty left instep bend on the run, golaaaaaaaaazo into 1/4 left 1/2 high. From the hilltop (that's me above the C-O, with 2nd blanket over my legs), GK Howard read the bend and dove, and her fingertips missed by inches. Weaver's 13th goal in 2018 -- she really likes the decisive touch sideways to open lateral separation, and a running instep bend with either foot.

HIGHLIGHT | @morgan_weaver8 with her 13th of the year making the magic happen | 2-0 WSU#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/mJiAx0OQ5q

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

62' 3-0 WSU play down wide left trailing a swarm of attackers in the box, Haro chips from 22m wide left to 4m left post. #17 Smith lunges but misses, GK Howard slide-kicks into Smith's legs. Ball trickles right to 4m 1/6 left, #29 Overland is unmarked at 6-top left post, wins race and slide-hooks into back left low. We had numbers already in the box, and crossed early enough to exploit mismatches.

HIGHLIGHT | Making things happen in front of goal, @Lysha_Nicole09 with the tap in | 3-0 WSU#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/Cq3XHXBCeK

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

 

Let's not overlook that Montana is a conference champion, and is accustomed to winning. We saw glimpses of it: they have some target players who are tall, stout (we just bounced off them), receive well, and hold possession well. We showed relentless speed, which gradually strangled Montana in midfield: their target players had nobody to pass to because their other players couldn't win races. Later in 2H, Montana was limited to an endless stream of longball attempts, all* calmly intercepted. (* well, except for --)

64' 4-0 Weaver taps back to Haro at arc top box left. Haro passes inside-out to LB #7 Hernandez-Repreza posting up at 13m wide left. Hernandez-Repreza crosses one-touch right instep to 7m 1/5 left. Smith wins a 2-v-3 sprint-start from 10m, low right foottop low full-volley into back left high. Ever since Cal's Kim scored on us using that same pattern (and almost the same spot on the same field ), we've used it ourselves to outscore the other team.

HIGHLIGHT | The Goal Of The Night from @hailey_smitty | 4-0 WSU#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/OeBK7dJzsM

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

83' 5-0 Hernandez-Repreza(?) left ck, high to 6-top 1/3 left, #20 Miller chests it across to #2 (r.fr.) Marin Auth. #14 Otteson kicks it away to 17m center, MF (fr.) #8 Gracie Armstrong settles into wheelhouse, shoots right foot frozen rope rising over the scrum, over GK Howard's fingertips into center back high. Her 1st career goal!

HIGHLIGHT | What a way to get your first collegiate goal @graciepeirce23, so so so pretty | 5-0 WSU#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/cRYucpdTet

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 10, 2018

 

73' 4-0 WSU subs in GK #1 Emma Dahline for #25 Rachel Thompson. Minutes, because the way this season has gone, we may need everybody.

86' 5-1 Montana was attacking the far end of the field (away from the hilltop), so I saw left-right but not hither-yon. Somehow, the ball bounced through(?) our box top mid-left, and our RB(?) had one half-chance at a roundhouse clearance kick -- stuff-blocked by chests or legs, bouncing into the box, with two unmarked Griz hopping over the last defender. 2-v-0 in our box, Dahline charges out past 6-top, #13 Kennedy Yost chips over her into back right low. No video, tsk. This was the only goal conceded by the Pac-12 in R1

FT 5-1. This Sat 11/10 morning, #1 (seed) Georgetown came back in 2H to win 3-1 vs. Central Connecticut State, and so it's on:

2018/11/15 Thu TBD:
(+17=3-0) #2/%1 Georgetown - Washington State &33 (+13=1-5)

 

2018/11/16 Fri 10:30 PST:
(+18=3-0) #2/%1 Georgetown - Washington State &33 (+13=1-5)
Video: GU Live Stream
Stats: NCAA GU-WSU
Tweets: HoyasWSoc | WSUCougarSoccer

It doesn't affect us here on the West Coast, but they have sleet + snow in the east, too, and their field was rendered unplayable So all four teams in this pod (us and Duke-Lipscomb) have moved indoors, to the George Washington University Mount Vernon Athletic Complex, for both of tomorrow's R2 matches.

It might be this place:

Sleet and snow outside so we moved indoors for our final prep before tomorrow’s big game. #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/mtJu6OwCsW

— Washington State Soccer (@WSUCougarSoccer) November 15, 2018

 

Video just went live! Still in pre-game sideline prep.

This is GW's backup(?) field, with a "GW" logo, near-side bleachers, covered scorers' table area, and dugout-like bench canopies. There seems to be just one video camera turret amidst the bleachers, with a somewhat low camera angle, and its sight lines toward the corners are partially occluded by vertical struts, but that's tolerable. It looks like somebody at GW alertly tracked weather all week and made sure this site was on stand-by just in case.

Line-ups at center circle! Anthem next?

 

Both teams' line-ups fist-bump the ref crew

Not much ambient field noise. Ah, audio just joined us (from field-side?), and we hear a bit of crowd noise behind them.

Winner plays Duke, who won 3-0 vs. Lipscomb a half-hour ago on this field.

 

01' 0-0 WSU kicks off, dumps into left corner. Camera does not pan that far to the left?

01' 0-0 GW hoof up right line, lose it into near touch. Camera does not pan that far right, nor depress that far down WSU left throw-in, not shown except for the ball at the peak of its arc. I know this camera can traverse that far -- they must have put the foam inserts to stabilize it between matches, and haven't yanked them out yet

WSU starts GK #25 Rachel Thompson. By now, this is no surprise for us.
Georgetown starts GK #1 Arielle Schechtman.

05' 0-0 LB #19 Haro underhits a backpass, Thompson must win a 60-40 race and clear upfield with no margin to relax. GU promptly pass to arc top right, RB(?) #23 Nally runs on and shoots one-touch right instep bend, high over right 90. Jitters.

Wow, is that snow packed up against the concrete wall behind WSU's goal? It's in the shade, so it might last a few hours there ...

 

~10' 0-0 The score graphic is not a scoreclock graphic. Also, we just lost audio? GU attack down box right, Minniss pokes ball over.

10' 1-0 #12 Nguyen right ck, to 5m 3-right. #23 Nally cuts center-to-right, twist-header to goalmouth center under Thompson's right hand, into back left low. (On close-ups to the lower right, the camera goes into zoom mode with a red dot at top center -- and audio cuts out?)

Meaghan Nally getting the Hoyas started early here at GW! #HoyaSaxa pic.twitter.com/eqf2wbxJHx

— Georgetown Women’s Soccer (@HoyasWSoc) November 16, 2018

~12' 1-0 GU continue to press in our 1/2 on the right. WSU finally switch to Gomera-Stevens on our right, she counters 1-v-2 but GU pokes away. The NCAA pbp shows all fouls occurring at "00:00", so I can't use those to calibrate time.

 

~13' 1-0 WSU play inside-out up the left, cross into box blocked into near touch.

~14' 1-0 WSU left throw-in next to the corner flag -- slightly off-camera. Cleared across, WSU right throw-in around circle top, lost.

16' 1-0 GU take 3 left throw-ins, turn through 15m box left, ground cross to a 1-v-1, shot blocked, then Nguyen shoots high.

17' 1-0 Stoppage, #29 Overland limps off holding ... right hamstring s/#17 Smith/Overland/

 

~19' 1-0 Schechtman calls defenders off to a ball dropping harmlessly at 6m -- but it takes a bizarre rightward bounce from heavy sidespin, just over Weaver in a 1-v-2, into feet. WSU scuff 1-2 shots into legs, eventually ball bounces free to box top mid-right and GU clears.

20' 1-0 Gomera-Stevens shoots a roller from ~arc top, Schechtman scoops up.

 

~22' 1-0 Audio returns! Whoops, GU clears a ball over the waist-high fence, into the city street, under the passing delivery truck, and onto the lawn across the road. A volunteer climbs over the fence ...

24' 1-0 #18 Farrell(?) crosses from ~2m wide right to right post, blocked and cleared back to the right. GU 2nd cross toward #4 Carusa at 6-top right post, header(?) glances to Thompson.

25' 1-0 WSU left throw-in, #9 Pulver shoots right instep pull from ~arc top mid-left, stays wide left low.

 

~27' 1-0 Smith right throw-in, heaved long into box, blocked over endline right.

28' 1-0 Haro right ck, tight over mouth diving to 1m left post, Minniss(?) or Smith(?) is unmarked past the scrum, hop-volleys over ball and it doesn't bounce high enough

~30' 1-0 Farrell counters 1-v-4 up centerline to 25m, toe-poke down box right to Carusa(?) at box right foot. Backpass but she slips(?) on contact, Thompson falls on it at 6-top right post. GU ground cross to Nguyen at 12m mid-left, she faces up 1-v-2, backpass, shot blocked.

~32' 1-0 Haro chips toward 9m 6-right for Weaver, her defender hop-heads a pop-up toward endline right. Chase and clear, not in time. Haro right ck, over everybody to 12m 6-left, nobody there and all chase.

34' 1-0 WSU right ck, Weaver(!) takes it -- short backpass and a diagonal cut, one-touch return pass to Weaver at 5m box right. Left roundhouse shot blocked by legs, poked away to box top mid-left. Gomera-Stevens collects but can't dribble past 3-4 players of both teams, broken up. Haro holds somebody's ribs at midfield circle right, foul.

 

35' 1-0 And now the NCAA pbp hasn't updated since 28'. Farrell chases to 15m(?), shoots high.

36' 1-0 GU loses ball into near touch twice. Alger passes short to Weaver cutting 1-v-1 through arc tangent right, but it clangs away.

37' 1-0 Carusa shoots from ~27m+ mid-left to 1/4 left face-high, Thompson blocks but can't squeeze, deflects it over bar.

37' 1-0 Nguyen left ck, backpass, cross to a long, Thompson catches at 6-top.

38' 1-0 Haro long fk into box, Schechtman comes out decisively, flattens 1, catches at 8m right post-ish.

 

~40' 1-0 Alger rolls a pass toward box top left for Weaver cutting center-to-left, #27 Livingstone wins that race and clears into near touch. We're looking for those cuts, but it's a cold day, not great for sprints.

42' 1-0 Hernandez-Repreza left ck, over mouth, not shown (bad time for a zoom view). Ball somehow redirected toward crossbar 1/3 right, Schechtman dunks it over onto roof.

~43' 1-0 Weaver right ck, cleared. Haro hip-bumps Carusa(?) at 20m (their) right touch, spins her down, foul.

44' 1-0 Farrell(?) fk at box top right touch, sailed to goalline 1/3 left head-high. Thompson catches high, gets sacked like a QB, flat onto back in own goal, ball bounces into left side netting. Foul, no goal.

 

HT 1-0. Georgetown are just as fast as we are (possibly faster in midfield), and they're somewhat sharper at home. So we haven't broken through their last defender (or the first one ). Meanwhile, they cheerfully send numbers forward and swarm us 3-v-4 in our own box.

I think WSU is doing well for a cold-weather away game. We've mostly looked for short passes into space for Weaver's diagonal runs, or short passes to Weaver trying to cut diagonally through box top, but GU's defense has that well-scouted and runs with her. Nobody else is consistently getting that far forward. We've created some wild bounces in GU's box, but there are always legs in the way.

 

Georgetown 7(3)-(3)4 shots(sog), 2-5 corners, 4-8 fouls, 0-0 offsides.
Possession is maybe 55-45 Georgetown.

 

~46' 1-0 #12 Nguyen dribbles fast to 30m mid-left, toe-poke down mid-left too far for #7 Carolan -- or she's offside behind our high line.

~47' 1-0 #18 Farrell chases down box right, not in time.
~48' 1-0 Farrell chases down box right, not in time.

~51' 1-0 Gomera-Stevens dribbles around box top left, cross to 8m 6-left, Pulver(?) twist-header along 6-top, cleared. WSU chips from ~25m mid-right to 5m mid-left, Weaver back-cuts the defense and touches into stride to 1m 4-left, ground shot/cross smother-blocked by Schechtman, over endline left.

52' 1-0 Haro left ck, onto roof.

 

~55' 1-0 #4 Clark chips from circle back up centerline for Weaver, just too far, bounces to Schechtman way up at 16m.

56' 1-0 WSU offside.
56' 1-0 Clark chases at 30m right touch, GU clears into near touch.

57' 1-0 Hernandez-Repreza right throw-in up right line, GU clear into touch at 5m.
~58' 1-0 Hernandez-Repreza right throw-in near corner flag, to 2m 3-right, off WSU shins but not kept.

~58' 1-0 Foul on #14 Myers at arc top.

 

~59' 1-0 LCB #23 Minniss collects past circle top wide left, dribbles upfield past the yellow line (field hockey? ~27m), rolls a pass down left touch for Myers chasing. Myers crosses from 0.5m to 3m 5-left, #27 Livingstone heads over endline left.

~60' 1-0 WSU left ck, to ~8m 3-right, bounces toward 5m mid-right -- camera doesn't pan. Hancock (off screen) shanks a right roundhouse way high?