Thompson earns first Pac-12 shutout in third start for Wazzu
Rachel Thompson
The 5-foot-9 junior goalkeeper extended her personal scoreless streak to 162 minutes, 27 seconds, stretching her last three appearances.
Overall, she’s allowed only one goal in 241:56 over four games.
Thompson, of Nikiski High fame, improved to 3-0 and picked up her first solo shutout after combining with Ella Dederick for a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Idaho on Sept. 6. That day she played the final 17 minutes.
This time she played the full 90.
She made a nice save on a 20-yard rocket shot in the 27th minute, punching the ball up and over the bar.
Later, Thompson got help from teammate Aaqila McLyn, who made a sliding kick save at the goal line to prevent a goal. The ball deflected by Thompson and looked to be headed toward the empty net before McLyn pounced on the loose ball right on the line.
The win over No. 8 UCLA marked the sixth win over a top-10 team in WSU history.
Thompson’s career-best nine saves were the most saves for a Cougar keeper since 2015 – her second historic achievement this month.
In the game against Idaho, she became the school’s first keeper since 2015 to register a point after she assisted on final goal thanks to Thompson’s booming 60-yard goal kick.
Before coming to Washington State, Thompson played for Highline Community College in the NWAC and recorded 26 shutouts in two seasons and set a school record with an 11-game shutout streak lasting 1,104 minutes in 2016.