Washington State’s 2026 season opener got away from it fast Wednesday night, and Idaho made sure it stayed that way.
The Cougars fell 3-0 to the Vandals at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman, Wash., in Chris Citowicki’s first game as head coach on the sideline. Idaho scored three times in the first 10 minutes, then shut the door the rest of the way.
It started in the second minute, when a strong pass slipped past WSU goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak and found Calli Chiarelli for the opening goal. Idaho struck again at the five-minute mark, then capped the burst in the 10th minute with Alyssa Hamilton’s goal.
Washington State tried to answer with shots from Maycen Slater, Lexi Lee and Kate Spangler, but couldn’t crack Idaho’s defense before halftime, when the Cougars were already down 3-0.
Dvorak steadied things in the second half with three key saves as Washington State pushed forward in search of a breakthrough. The best late chance came in the final 10 minutes, when Slater nearly got a touch on a scramble in front of goal, but the Idaho goalkeeper reached the ball first and smothered it.
The night also marked a busy debut showing for Washington State. The Cougars used a full rotation off the bench, with 17 players making their WSU debuts and six recording their collegiate debuts.
For Idaho, the win was a notable one in the series history. The Vandals picked up their second all-time victory over Washington State and their first since 1993.
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