Washington State signs eight new Cougars to National Letters of Intent

PULLMAN, Wash. – Continuing to build the depth and talent of the Washington State soccer roster, head coach Todd Shulenberger announced the signings of eight new Cougars to National Letters of Intent.

Adding their names to the roster for 2021 are: Nadia Cooper (Rosenberg, Texas), Macey Formanek (Phoenix, Ariz.), Khalia Gathright (Cypress, Calif.), McKenna Pua (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Rajanah Reed (Glendale, Ariz.), Lindsey Saad (Albuquergue, NM), Reese Tappan (Newcastle, Wash.), and Audrey Weir (Kailua Kona, Hawaii).

“We are very excited to announce our 2021 class here at Washington State,” said Shulenberger. “This class will join us after a historic run to the College Cup and a unique soccer schedule as we are all dealing with a world-wide pandemic. I am confident this class is ready for the challenge and has been upbeat and excited to get started. This is a well-rounded group that fill in all key positions on the field. We feel confident we landed some of the best players from Washington, California, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii and New Mexico. Go Cougs!”

Nadia Cooper | Goalkeeper

One of the top youth goalkeepers in the country, Cooper has been a stalwart in the US National Team system having been called up to the U17 National Team for multiple tournaments. Most recently she was named to the U17 National Team training camp at the beginning of the year when the team was training for the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting against England on Feb. 20, Cooper earned a shutout in her last national team game before the pandemic.

Outside of national team duties, Cooper has played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s Academy where she was named the Girls Best XI Goalkeeper in the Central region in 2019 for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. As a sophomore, she spent time playing between the U17 and U19 teams earning 17 starts on the soccer field.

Macey Formanek | Midfielder

An attacking midfielder out of Arizona, Formanek has been a model student at Arcadia High School where she maintains a 4.0 GPA as an honor roll student. On the field, the 5’10” attacking midfielder plays for the SC del Sol U18/19 team as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. In 2019-20, Formanek played all 21 games for the Sol scoring four goals.

Khalia Gathright | Defender

A member of one of the most dominant club teams in the country, Gathright comes to WSU having spent her club career playing for So Cal Blues. In 2019, Gathright helped guide her team to the Elite Clubs National League U16 national championship the year after making the semifinals. During their run to the title, Gathright led a defense that allowed the fewest goals against percentage in the league. She has earned ECNL Southwest All-Conference honors and has been part of the 2018 and 2019 ODP Regional Championship team. Outside of club play, Gathright also plays for Los Alamitos High School she led her team to back-to-back Sunset League championships while finishing as the CIF state runner-up in 2019. In addition to soccer, Gathright is a standout on the track as a sprinter running both the 100m and 200m.

McKenna Pua | Defender

In three seasons at Marina High School, Pua has dominated the defensive third for the Vikings earning three-straight all-conference awards including first team honors as both a sophomore and junior. On top of all-conference honors, Pua was named the Wave League Most Valuable Player as a junior after leading her team to their first league championship in 25 years. As a defense, the Vikings earned eight shutouts on the year and advanced to the CIF Section quarterfinals. At the club level, Pua is a member of the LAFC Slammers in the Elite Clubs National League where she earned all-conference honors in 2018-19. Off the field, Pua has taken her height and athleticism to the volleyball court where she is one of the Vikings’ middle blockers.

Rajanah Reed | Forward

Graduating from Deer Valley High School next spring, Reed has run both track and played soccer for the Sky Hawks. As a freshman on the soccer field Reed was named first team all-league and earned all-region honors after scoring a school record 36 goals. Transitioning to strictly club play, Reed competes for the Utah Royals in the U.S Soccer Development Academy after playing for the SC del Sol her first year in the league. In 2019-20, Reed scored 18 goals in 19 games, finishing second on the team to current Coug freshman Margie Detrizio, as the team finished third in the Southwest Division.

Lindsey Saad | Midfielder

Captain of the Utah Royals in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Saad played alongside of fellow Coug recruit Rajanah Reed as well as Coug freshman Margie Detrizio. Playing in the midfield, Saad played in 16 games for the Royals in 2019-20 before suffering a season-ending injury. She returned to captain Shattuck-St. Mary’s Academy in 2020, playing alongside of Coug recruit Nadia Cooper. She previously played for the academy in 2018-19, starting 22 of 24 games, as the school joined the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the first time. As a freshman, Saad earned all-region honors while playing high school soccer at Eldorado High School.

Reese Tappan | Defender

A two-time state champion and two-time all-league selection, Tappan has been a standout in the defensive third for Liberty High School on the West Side. As a freshman, she assisted on a pair of goals in the Patriots, 3-0, win in the state championship game as the team went 19-2-1 with 14 shutouts en route to the title. A year later, Tappan would help lead the team to a 17-2-2 overall record and a second-straight state championship scoring five goals and recording three assists while leading a defense that recorded 13 shutouts. As a junior, she would score five goals and assist on three more in 20 games as the Patriots made another run into the state playoffs.

Audrey Weir | Midfielder

Weir will graduate from Kealakehe High School in the spring after running both cross country and playing soccer for the Waveriders. On the field, she is a two-time all-league honoree earning honorable mention honors as a freshman while picking up first team honors as a sophomore. On the club level, Weir is a member of the San Diego Surf team where she lives with host families away from her home state of Hawaii. In the 2019-20 season, she scored four goals in 19 games in the ECNL.