Cowgirls set for pair of road matches against SJSU, Fresno State

LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming soccer team takes to the road for a pair of Mountain West Conference matches this week. The Cowgirls play at San Jose State on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before traveling to Fresno State for a 1 p.m. game Sunday.

UW, sitting at 5-4-1 overall and 1-1-0 league action, is fresh off its most compete performance of the season in its conference home opener against San Diego State. The Cowgirls controlled the contest from the outset en route to a 3-1 victory over the Aztecs – their largest margin of victory against SDSU since 2003.

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“I really do believe it’s a maturity thing, and I think this group is still learning how to be consistently consistent,” head coach Colleen Corbin said. “It’s a confidence thing. They need to understand that what we did against San Diego State is possible against everyone we play.”

The victory included a spectacular display of skill from redshirt-junior midfielder Jamie Tatum, as she netted the game’s first goal. It also featured a score from senior defender Savannah Warner – her second in as many games – and plenty of flip throws, and one goal, from sophomore forward Alyssa Bedard.

Those are just three examples of the diversity of skillsets within UW’s roster. Plenty of other players possess varying attributes that make the Cowgirls difficult to scout against.

“It’s really cool to have a bunch of different types of players that can all play in the same system,” Corbin said. “Figuring out what somebody’s strengths are and allowing them to utilize those strengths in the best way possible is part of the goal. It’s not expecting everyone to play the same way or do the same things, you just want everyone to operate in the same system.”

That system has created a balanced scoring attack. Tatum, Bedard and junior forward Faith Joiner lead the way with three goals apiece. Warner has a pair of scores, while five others have also found the back of the net.

Senior goalkeeper Hannah Lee made her first start of the season against the Aztecs. She also played the second half of the MWC opener at New Mexico. In a game and a half, Lee has registered four saves and owns a GAA of 0.67.

San Jose State enters Friday with a 4-6-0 overall record and a 1-1-0 mark in league action. The Spartans most recently logged a 2-0 home win over Colorado College to improve to 3-2-0 in games played at the Spartan Soccer Complex.

Taylor Phillips leads SJSU with a pair of goals this season. Seven other Spartans have scored once this fall.

Both Autum Monty and Shayla Sugai have taken on goalkeeping responsibilities for SJSU. They have alternated starts in net the last three games.

The series has resided fairly even in recent past. Wyoming is 2-2-1 in its last five against the Spartans, winning 3-2 in 2018 – the last time the two competed in San Jose.

It’s a similar story between the Cowgirls and Fresno State. Wyoming is 2-1-2 in its last five against the Bulldogs, as the two squads tied in its last meeting in Fresno.

The Bulldogs come into their pair of home games – against Colorado State on Friday and Wyoming on Sunday – with a 3-3-3 overall record and a 1-0-1 mark in MWC play. The Bulldogs opened league play, drawing at Colorado College and defeating Air Force.

Kassandra Ceja paces Fresno State offensively with three goals this season, while three players own a pair of goals. Ella Wilson has played the most minutes in net for the Bulldogs this fall, owning 19 saves and a GAA of 0.93.

Fresno State enjoys a great deal of success at home. The Bulldogs have not fallen at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium since 2019.