Beavers Begin Pac-12 Play in Pullman

THE GAMES: The Oregon State women's soccer team starts conference play on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in Pullman, Wash. against No. 21 Washington State.

FOLLOW ALONG: Saturday's game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Washington and Pac-12 Oregon with Charles Wollin on the call. Live stats for Saturday's game can be found at OSUBeavers.com. You can follow every Oregon State women's soccer game live on Twitter, @BeaverWSoccer.

HISTORY WITH COUGARS: Washington State leads the series with 15 wins over the Beavers. Oregon State last defeated the Courgars with a 1-0 double-overtime victory in 2017 in Corvallis. The last time OSU beat WSU in Pullman was Oct. 18, 2013, 1-0.

Quick Hitters:
- Oregon State returns seven starters and 13 letterwinners from the 2018 squad.
- OSU is the only perfect team remaining in the Pac-12 boasting a 8-0-0 record.
- Oregon State is still receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Association Poll.
- If the Beavers win on Saturday, it will mark the first opening win in Pac-12 play since Sept. 21, 2019 when No. 24 OSU took down Utah, 2-0, in Corvallis.

Offensive Mindset:
- Oregon State has outscored opponents 21-3 this season.
- The Beavers have scored three goals in the first nine minutes of the match this season - 4:31 vs. PSU, 6:48 vs. SMC and 8:55 at Houston
- Nine Beavers have scored at least one goal this season (Weinert - 6, McReynolds - 4, Schwartz - 3, Fried and Studer - 2, Conrad, Fonsen, Leblic and Lemmond - 1)
- OSU has recorded 140 shots this season through eight games - in 2018 OSU only recorded 131 shots on the season.
- Through eight games, OSU has taken 47 corner kicks - in 2018, OSU only recorded 28 on the season.
- The Beavers have 19 assist this season coming from 11 players compared to last season only having one total assist.
- McKenzie Weinert is tied for No. 29 in the nation for goals this season (6) and tied for No. 40 for goals per game (.75).
- Brianna McReynolds is tied for No. 39 in assists (four).
- As a team, OSU is tied for No. 16 in goals (21), tied for No. 19 in points (61), No. 22 in shots per game (17.5), tied for No. 22 in scoring offense (2.63) and tied for No. 61 in corner kicks (47).

Dominating Defense:
- Oregon State has started the same back unit for the first eight games (Ellsworth, Fonsen, Fried, Salveter and Studer) with sophomore Bridgette Skiba in goal.
- The back unit has only allowed 69 shots this season (8.62 per game) and three goals to be scored.
- As a whole, OSU has posted five clean sheets with Skiba recording four-solo shutouts (tied for 12th in OSU season history).
- Skiba and Lindsay LaMont combined for a shutout vs. Houston.
- The Beavers recorded four-consecutive shutouts (SMC, UNM, UCD and Houston) for the first time since 2007.
- Skiba is tied for No. 42 in save percentage in the nation (.850) and No. 17 in goal-allowed average (.373). In the Pac-12 Skiba is second in save percentage, third in goals-against average and t-tied for fourth in saves (17).
- As a defensive unit, Oregon State has only allowed opponents to take 24 corner kicks. Through the first three games, OSU only allowed two combined.
- In the nation, OSU sits No. 12 in goals-against average and tied for No. 38 in save percentage.
- The Beavers defense have added to the offensive stance with Fried, Studer and Fonsen each scoring at least one goal. Dayton, Fonsen, Fried and Salveter have also each recorded an assist on the season.

New Era Under Kagan:
- 2019 marks the first season for head coach Matt Kagan who joins the Beavers after spending the prior two years as the associate head coach at Mississippi State.
- During his first season at MSU, the Bulldogs posted the best record the program had had in 16 years.
- Kagan has been a member of nine coaching staffs that have led teams to the NCAA Tournament - three of those teams have advanced to the Sweet 16.
- Kagan started his professional career in 2004 at Assumption College in Massachusetts before taking the reigns of Worcester State from 2005-08.

The Staff:
- Kagan brings in three distinguished coaches to join his staff.
- Jenny Ruiz-Williams was a four-year letterwinner at UNLV and a two-time All-Mountain West Selection while helping the program to their first ever NCAA appearance.
- Ruiz-Williams was a member of the Mexican National Team when they won bronze at the Pan American Games in 2003, 2011 and 2015. Ruiz-Williams scored the game-winning goal in the -bronze-medal game in 2011 against Columbia.
- Ruiz-Williams joined the Seattle Reign FC in 2013 before competing in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup with Mexico.
- Nick Stirrett joins the Beavers staff working primarily with the goalkeepers after spending the last three seasons at the University of Illinois where he helped the Illini finish fifth in the Big Ten and make it to the second round of the conference tournament in 2018.
- Prior to his time at Illinois, Stirrett helped lead the Penn State Nittany Lions to become the 2015 NCAA National Champions.
- Stirrett also spent two seasons as the head men's coach at the University of Mount Union.
- Tiff Crooks joins the staff as the Director of Operations after spending the last 12 seasons as the head coach at Case Western Reserve University.
- Crooks is the winningest coach in CWRU program history and was awarded University Athletic Association Coach Staff of the Year in 2009 and 2011.

Newcomers:
- The Beavers welcome nine newcomers to the 2019 roster, seven freshman and two transfers.
- Freshman Brianna McReynolds earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for her performance at Houston and Rice on Sept. 17.
- Five newcomers have combined for 24 of OSU's 61 points to date (McReynolds - 12, Schwartz - 7, Conrad and Galceran - 2 and Salveter - 1).

Last Week vs. Idaho:
- OSU added another tally to the win column taking down Idaho, 2-1 on Thursday night.
- The Vandals scored in the 16th minute to take an early lead, but freshman Sophie Conrad scored her first goal of her Beaver career off a cross pass from Kaillen Fried to level the score in the 35th minute.
- Fried scored the game-winnning goal in the 77th minute off a pass from McKenzie Weinert that rolled across the box directly to Fried's right foot.
- OSU outshot Idaho, 18-5 on the match and sophomore goalkeeper, Bridgette Skiba, finished with two saves.

Coming Up:
- Oregon State travels to Utah (Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. - Pac-12 Networks) and Colorado (Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. - Pac-12 Networks).

For more information on the Oregon State women's soccer team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the club @BeaverWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.

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Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).

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Players Mentioned

Sophie Conrad

Kaillen Fried

Lindsay LaMont

Brianna McReynolds

Bridgette Skiba

McKenzie Weinert