2007 Game Recaps

SOUTHERN UTAH CHAMPIONSHIP RUN THWARTED BY OAKLAND

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Nov. 9 – Southern Utah’s four-game winning streak and run for a Summit League championship came to an end on Friday afternoon as the Thunderbirds fell to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies 2-1 in the first round of the Summit League tournament.  Oakland had the benefit of playing at home during the tournament and scored a goal with 14 minutes remaining in the game to seal the win.

“I’m proud of how our girls came out and played today and really battled,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “Our play showed that we deserved to be in this tournament and I really feel that we out-hearted them today.”

Southern Utah’s Makell Hansen put the first numbers on the board as the sophomore midfielder struck a ball from 20 yards into the back of the net in the 5th minute.  The goal was her second score this year.

The Thunderbirds looked to have collected a second goal in the 9th minute, but the chance was called off because of an offside penalty.

Southern Utah’s lead did not last long as OU’s Jessica Boyle beat SUU keeper Holly Senter for the equalizer in the 11th minute.  Summit League Offensive Player of the Year Holly Tomczyk was credited with the assist.

The teams took the 1-1 deadlock into the halftime break and played to a draw until Boyle connected on her second goal of the game in the 76th minute.  Tomczyk was once again credited with the assist.

The Thunderbirds continued to take their shots, out shooting the Golden Grizzlies seven to six in the final frame, including Catherine Johnson’s shot with two-and-a-half minutes remaining on the clock that grazed the cross bar.

Southern Utah will now return to Cedar City and prepare for the 2008 campaign while Oakland will advance to face the No. 1-seeded Westernwinds of Western Illinois in the Summit League finals on Sunday afternoon.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS SCORE 2-1 OVERTIME WIN AGAINST NORTH DAKOTA STATE

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Nov. 3 – Southern Utah women’s soccer ran its winning streak to four as Shaley Ipson scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Thunderbirds a 2-1 win over the visiting Bison of North Dakota State on Saturday morning.  The win improves SUU to 7-5-5 and 3-2-3 and vaulted the Thunderbirds over the Bison in the conference standings as NDSU’s record fell to 11-7-1 and 3-4-1 in the Summit League.

"This was just a matter of gritting it out today," head coach Brian Stock said of the team's efforts.  "This was our second game of the weekend and their first, but we did what we needed to do to get the win."

The Thunderbirds were out shot four to one over the first 15 minutes of the game, but SUU’s one shot found the back of the net as Erica Berlin collected an Ipson pass and beat the keeper for the 1-0 lead.

The one-goal advantage remained through the first half as Southern Utah’s defensive back line held the Bison scoreless on nine shots and three corner kick opportunities.  SUU tallied four shots and one corner kick over the same stretch.

In the second half, North Dakota State finally broke through and tied the game 1-1 in the 49th minute.  NDSU sophomore Lorraine Thompson cracked a shot at the top of the box that found its way into the net for her fifth goal of the year.

The deadlock continued through the end of regulation, but it was Ipson’s team-leading fourth goal of the season that sealed the win for the Thunderbirds in the first overtime period.

Ipson collected the ball in the 97th minute and put it into the right side of the goal as the keeper came wide of the box.  The goal tied Ipson for first all-time in goals scored in a career at SUU with 13, tying senior forward Brooklyn Phillips.

Phillips was honored with the five other seniors (Cassidy Berlin, Holly Senter, Courtney Milligan, Catherine Johnson and Ashley Westphal) prior to the game in conjunction with Senior Day activities.

With the win, the Thunderbirds can qualify for the No. 3 seed going into the Summit League tournament if Oral Roberts losses or ties its game with league-leading Western Illinois on Sunday in Tulsa.

Box Score

SOUTHERN UTAH CLINCHES TOURNAMENT BERTH WITH 4-1 WIN OVER IUPUI

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Nov. 1 – Southern Utah women’s soccer clinched a spot in the Summit League tournament next weekend with a 4-1 victory over the IUPUI Jaguars on Thursday afternoon.  A win by either side would have clinched a berth in the postseason and the Thunderbirds capitalized as they have in each of the past two seasons.

“The past three seasons (2007 included) we have had to get a results in one of the final games of the season against an Indiana school,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.  “We got the job done today and did what we needed to do in a great team effort.”

The Thunderbirds started the game quickly as junior Shaley Ipson scored her first of two goals on the day during the first two minutes of the game.  Senior Ashley Westphal placed a cross to Ipson’s feet and the goal found its way to the back of the net.

Ipson proved to be in the right place at the right time again in the 30th minute striking a cross from Cassidy Berlin for the 2-0 advantage.

The goals continued to come for the ‘Birds as Allison Goettsche crossed a ball into the box, Berlin continued the passing to Jessica Heninger and the freshman tucked the ball away for her second goal of the year.

The 3-0 advantage for the Thunderbirds held through the half and Southern Utah looked to be on its way to a shutout, but IUPUI’s Katrina McCrory made the most of a penalty kick opportunity to chip into the SUU lead.

McCrory was pulled down in the box in the 73rd minute and bee-lined a shot to the top right corner of the goal, trimming Southern Utah’s lead to 3-1.

However, SUU once again gained the three-goal when Kristen Fronk headed the ball into the goal off Berlin’s corner kick service with 16 seconds remaining on the clock.

Berlin’s three assists set a new all-time single-game mark for the Thunderbirds and Ipson became the second player of the team this year to record a two-goal game.  Ipson and Berlin also moved closer to the top of the SUU’s all-time career marks in both categories, standing in second place in goals and assists, respectively.

Southern Utah will wrap up its regular season when the Thunderbirds host the Bison of North Dakota State on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.  Prior to the game, SUU’s six seniors will be recognized as part of Senior Day festivities.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS RECORD SECOND CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT VICTORY WITH 1-0 WIN OVER UVSC

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Oct. 27 – Southern Utah women’s soccer ran its shutout streak to five halves of play with a 1-0 win over the Utah Valley State Wolverines on Saturday afternoon.  The win improves the Thunderbirds to 5-5-5 and drops UVSC to 4-12-1.

“This win gives us great momentum heading into the final week of the regular season,” head coach Brian Stock said at game’s end.  “We came out well, competed and really came out ready to play.”

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes as Southern Utah out shot Utah Valley 13 to 4 in the opening half.  Three of SUU’s shots narrowly sailed high of the cross bar as the Thunderbirds played a lion’s share of the half in the attacking third.

In the second half, Southern Utah didn’t have to wait very long for a goal as Makell Hansen placed a perfect header into the goal off a Laura Goodrich cross in the 47th minute for the first and only goal of the game.

Hansen became the 11th player on the 2007 squad to record a goal during the season, showing the balance of the Thunderbird attack.

The game became a heart stopper at the end for Southern Utah fans as Utah Valley cracked a shot off the cross bar with two minutes remaining on the clock.  UVSC continued to attack throughout the waning minutes of the game, but Southern Utah kept the Wolverines scoreless for the win.

Junior goalkeeper Sutton Fox recorded her second win of the season in her first start of the year, recording two saves in the shutout victory.

Andi Bagdan led the Wolverines with five shots with Hansen pacing her for the Thunderbirds, also with five shots during the day.  Utah Valley was awarded two yellow cards during the day as both team poured in a physical effort.

Southern Utah will be back in action next week hosting IUPUI and North Dakota State on Thursday and Saturday.  The Summit League games will be crucial for the Thunderbirds as the team looks to qualify for the conference championship tournament the following weekend.

Box Score

SOCCER BACK INTO POSTSEASON MIX WITH 2-0 WIN AT IPFW

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Oct. 21 - Junior Kimly Anderson and Senior Catherine Johnson each scored a goal as Southern Utah women's soccer picked up its first league victory with a 2-0 decision against the Mastodons of IPFW on Sunday afternoon.  The win improves the Thunderbirds to 1-2-3 in conference for a total of six points.  IPFW drops to 1-6-0 in the Summit League with three points.

“This win today really keeps our postseason hopes alive,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.  “We came out today in the first half with a lot of intensity and played with a sense of urgency and it paid off with an early goal.”

The Thunderbirds scored in the 16th minute as Anderson picked up her first goal of the season on a Coutney Milligan assist.  Anderson collected the pass and blasted the ball to the upper-right corner of the goal, giving SUU the 1-0 advantage.

The scored remained 1-0 through the remainder of the first half with IPFW goalkeeper Krista Null recording six saves on 11 shots by the Thunderbirds.

“In the second half we did a fantastic job of knocking the ball around to create some scoring opportunities,” Stock said of the final 45 minutes.  “It was that second goal that really put the game beyond doubt.”

The second score for Southern Utah came in the waning minutes of the game as Johnson’s foot directed the ball into the goal from six yards out off a Kelsey Buchanan assist in the 86th minute.  The goal was the senior’s second of the year.

The win puts the Thunderbirds right back into the Summit League playoff mix with the top four teams in the conference playing for a chance for a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Southern Utah will play its next game at home against UVSC on Saturday, Oct. 27 before closing out the conference season with IUPUI and North Dakota State in Cedar City during the first weekend of November.

Box Score

SUU DROPS ROAD GAME AT OAKLAND

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oct. 19 – In the midst of very windy and cooler conditions, the Southern Utah women’s soccer team fell to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies by the final score of 3-0 on Friday afternoon.  The loss drops the Thunderbirds to 0-2-3 in the Summit League while Oakland improves to 5-2-0.

“This was some difficult weather to deal with today,” head coach Brian Stock said of the conditions.  “It made it very difficult to play.”

Neither team was able to shoot the ball with any amount of quantity, in all the teams cracked 12 shots with six on goal.

Oakland found the back of the net three times on six shots in the first half which proved to be the final score.

OU’s Jamie Hulet began the scoring with a quick goal in the 6th minute, taking a pass from Jessica Boyle and turning it around into a breakaway goal.

Courtney McCracken and Kristi Tomczyk scored the second and third goal later in the half with the difference being slightly over 30 seconds.

McCracken’s one-timer in the box found the net in the 34th minute and Tomczyk tucked away another Boyle assist for the third goal of the game in the 35th minute.

“We’ve been know to rebound after games like this during the season,” Stock said looking ahead to the next match.  “I fully expect us to come out on Sunday and perform well.”

Southern Utah will be back on the pitch on Sunday afternoon when the Thunderbirds travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana to meet the IPFW Mastodons.  It will be the first meeting between the two schools as Summit League members and third overall.  SUU will look to snap IPFW’s unbeaten streak of 2-0-0 against the ‘Birds with the last win coming in a close 3-2 decision in Fort Wayne last year.

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SOUTHERN UTAH SCORES BIG IN 1-0 VICTORY

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah secured a 1-0 victory over Embry-Riddle, but it was the team’s effort to raise awareness for breast cancer that was even a larger win on Saturday afternoon.  The Thunderbirds donned pink jerseys for the special event and advanced to 3-4-5 with the win, raising more that $2,000 towards breast cancer research in the process.

“This was an outstanding event,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “We really appreciate the community, our athletic staff and sponsors for really making this a success.”

Money was raised through donations, merchandise sales and the sales of the specially donated uniforms worn by the players during the game.  The proceeds were viewed as a great success in what may likely become an annual event for the women’s soccer team.

On the field, the Thunderbirds continued to do what they have done nine out of 12 games this season in out shooting the competition.  In all, SUU cracked 33 shots to the Eagles three.

“We played a tremendous soccer game today,” Stock said of the action on the field.  “Our passing was crisp and we had some outstanding defending.”

Both teams battled through a scoreless first half with Southern Utah tallying 17 shots to Embry-Riddle’s two.  Despite the advantage the Thunderbirds narrowly missed their spots in the physical half.

In the second half the tie was finally broken in the 75th-minute as Kimly Anderson squirted a low rolling shot towards the goal that was flicked by Shaley Ipson into the far corner of the net.  Ipson was awarded the goal with Anderson recording the assist.

Southern Utah will be back on the road this weekend when the Thunderbirds continue their Summit League slate with games at Oakland and IPFW on Friday and Sunday.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS BLANK WESTMINSTER IN 5-0 HOME VICTORY

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Oct. 11– Freshman Erin Marble tied a single-gae record with two goals to lead the Thunderbirds past the Griffins of Westminster University 5-0 on Thursday afternoon.  Senior Cassidy Berlin and freshman Jessica Heninger each totaled three points on a goal and an assist as Southern Utah improved to 2-4-5 on the season.

“We had great pressure early in the game,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “Once we were able to get the first goal, we got going and got the result that we wanted.”

Southern Utah scored three goals within four minutes at the end of the first half to establish a 3-0 lead going into the break.

Cassidy Berlin began the streak in the 38th minute with a ball placed over the keeper after a pass from Kelsey Buchanan.  Marble followed in the 40th minute, cleaning up a saved shot by Heninger.  Heninger was able to find the back of the net two minutes later, taking a pass from Cassidy Berlin and tucking it into the goal from inside the box.

“We were proud of our speed of play today,” Stock said of the first and second halves.  “We were able to build momentum and keep the intensity up throughout the game.”

In the second half, Marble added a second goal in the 56th minute to tie the single game record.  Sophomore defender Kristen Fronk book ended the game with a header off Erica Berlin’s serve from the corner for the 5-0 finish.

Fronk led the team in shots with six, matching Westminster’s six team shots.  In all, the Thunderbirds blasted 30 shots with 18 on goal.

Southern Utah will be back in action as the team battles Embry-Riddle University on Saturday in a special breast cancer awareness game.  Merchandise will be on sale throughout the game to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute, including specially donated pink uniforms worn by the players.  Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Box Score

SOUTHERN UTAH FALLS AT HOME TO IDAHO STATE

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Oct. 6 – Southern Utah women’s soccer suffered its first setback at home as the Thunderbirds found themselves on the wrong end of a 7-1 defeat to the Bengals of Idaho State University.  With the loss, SUU drops to 1-4-5 while ISU improves to 5-3-3.

“This loss is a tough one to swallow,” head coach Brian Stock said of the outcome.  “It you look at the stats, this game looks to have been closer than what the scoreboard read at the end of the game.”

The Thunderbirds were just below Idaho State in each statistical category, including 19 shots to the Bengals 24 with 12 shots on goal for the home team to 14 for ISU.  The difference was the seven goals that found the back of the net for Idaho State, compared to the one for Southern Utah.

“They did a great job in the second half of capitalizing on our mistakes,” Stock said.  “We were able to force some mistakes as well, but we weren’t able to turn them around into points.”

The Bengals scored the first goal of the game on a corner set piece in the 10th minute and then added another goal in the 16th minute on Jana Boehler’s fifth goal of the season.

The score remained 2-0 going into the half, but the floodgates opened up in the second half as Idaho State added five more goals to the Thunderbirds’ one.

The goal for Southern Utah in the second half was a perfectly placed ball by sophomore Kristen Fronk to the top-right corner of the goal.  The shot came 12 feet from inside the half line following an ISU penalty.

“We just have to bounce back from this one and get out and be ready to play next week.” Stock said.  “Soccer is such a simple game, but you have to get the simple things right to win.”

The Thunderbirds will be back in action next week as Southern Utah hosts Westminster College on Thursday, Oct. 11 and then Embry-Riddle on Saturday, Oct. 13.  The game on Saturday will have special significance, as SUU will don pink uniforms in conjunction with breast cancer awareness.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS EARN ANOTHER CONFERENCE POINT WITH DRAW AT CENTENARY

SHREVEPORT, La. – Oct. 3 – Southern Utah women’s soccer earned its third point in Summit League play with a 1-1 draw at Centenary College on Wednesday night.  The tie leaves the Thunderbirds with a 1-3-5 overall record and a 0-1-3 conference record.  The Ladies moved to 4-7-1 and 0-1-1 in conference.

The five overtime ties during the season is one short of the all-time mark of six when the team played seven double overtime matches in 2004.

Southern Utah began the game strong, out shooting the Ladies eight to five during the first 45 minutes.  The shots would pay off as Brooklyn Phillips played a ball off a poor clear to put the Thunderbirds on the scoreboard first in the 12th minute.

The score remained 1-0 through halftime, but Centenary tied the game quickly after the break as Catie Depaw scored the equalizer on a Kristine Weaver assist in the 46th minute.  The goal came into play following a Southern Utah foul.

In all the Thunderbirds were whistled for 27 fouls to the Ladies’ 17 in the physical contest.  SUU also held the advantage in shots at the final whistle with 19 to Centenary’s 14.

However, the home team was able to create more corner kick opportunities, besting the ‘Birds 10 to three in the category.

Shaley Ipson and Catherine Johnson each recorded a game-high four shots during the match.

Southern Utah will be back in action this weekend when the Thunderbirds play host to the Bengals of Idaho State University.  The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.

Box Score

UNBEATEN STREAK SNAPPED AT FOUR GAMES IN DEFEAT TO WESTERWINDS

MACOMB, Ill. – Sept. 28 – Southern Utah women’s soccer found themselves on the losing end of a 3-0 outcome at the final whistle at Western Illinois on Friday afternoon.  The loss drops the Thunderbirds to 1-3-4 on the season while the Westerwinds improve to 7-1-1.

“This just wasn’t our best effort today,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.  “It was definitely a letdown from the standard of play we have set the last couple of weeks.”

The Thunderbirds found themselves down early in the first half as Western Illinois recorded two goals in the first half.  WIU’s Keeley Murray tucked a goal into the far post in the 16th-minute, followed by an Ashley Hoch penalty kick in the 34th-minute for the 2-0 lead heading into the break.

“We were able to make some adjustments in the second half,” Stock said of the final 45-minutes, “and were able to play the ball better than we had in the first half.”

Southern Utah was narrowly out shot in the second half seven to six, but was able to force its first corner kick of the contest.  Seniors Catherine Johnson and Brooklyn Phillips led the Thunderbirds with three shots each with Johnson recording two on goal to Phillips’ one.

Despite the effort the Westerwinds scored again in the 66th-minute as Katelyn Wisner took a pass from Hoch in the middle of the box and found the back of the net for the eventual 3-0 outcome.

“I give Western a lot of credit today,” Stock said of the opponent.  “They played a solid game, but I expect our side to come away from this and build a little strength and momentum as the season progresses.”

The season continues for the Thunderbirds next Wednesday when Southern Utah travels to Shreveport, La. for a meeting with the Ladies of Centenary as Summit League play rolls on.  Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Box Score

UNBEATEN STREAK EXTENDS TO FOUR GAMES

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Sept. 23 – Southern Utah women’s soccer extended its unbeaten streak to four games with its third consecutive double-overtime tie at home in a 0-0 decision against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona.  The draw gives the Thunderbirds a record of 1-2-4 and NAU a record of 4-1-3.

Southern Utah out shot its opponent for the sixth time in seven games this season with a 28-9 advantage, narrowly missing several scoring chances throughout the game.

Senior Ashley Westphal hit the cross bar twice on back-to-back free kick opportunities in the second half and sophomore Laura Goodrich just pushed a ball high in the first half.  In the first overtime period, Goodrich put another strike on the ball that was saved on a diving stab by NAU keeper Liz Winkelblech.

In all, Winkelblech recorded ten saves as SUU keeper Holly Senter recorded six.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game heading into it,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “As the game progressed I had no doubt that we would record the clean sheet.”

Senter has now collected two shutouts over the course of the season.

The Thunderbirds have now played four double-overtime contests during the year, three short of the all-time record of seven in 2005.  SUU began the season with a 1-1 tie at UVSC and have played to double-overtime draws in each of its first three home games.  Stock believes the strong play in overtime can be attributed to the teams’ overall conditioning.

“We’ve had to battle through some tough stuff, including weather and overtimes lately,” Stock said of the previous two weeks, “but we’re playing at a very high level and I think these longer games will pay off for us down the road.”

Southern Utah will take to the road next week when the Thunderbirds travel to Macomb, Ill. for a match with the Westerwinds of Western Illinois on Friday, Sept. 28.

Box Score

LAST-SECOND GOAL FORCES DOUBLE-OVERTIME TIE FOR WOMEN'S SOCCER

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Sept. 21 – Freshman Allison Goettsche scored an equalizing goal in the 89th-minute, forcing overtime in SUU women’s soccer action against Oral Roberts on Friday afternoon.  Neither team broke the deadlock after the final 20 minutes, resulting in a tie for both squads.

“It was just a fierce battle today,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.  “I was almost in need of a defibrillator with the last second goal, but it was just an outstanding effort today with the team keeping with it.”

The Thunderbirds were on the board first as senior Catherine Johnson blasted a shot off an Erica Berlin cross for her first goal of the season.  The goal crossed the line in the fourth minute as Southern Utah’s attack swarmed the offensive third in the opening minutes of the game.

The 1-0 lead carried over into the break, but would not hold long into the second half.

Golden Eagles’ Shakira Duncan tied the game in the 55th-minute on a slow rolling header off a Marissa Ranberger cross to tie the game at 1-1.  The pair hooked up again in the 87th-minute with Ranberger feeding Duncan in a breakaway opportunity as the freshman scored her league-leading seventh goal of the season for ORU’s first lead of the game.

The lead was once again not safe as Southern Utah continued to battle down the stretch with its opportunity coming off a scrum on a corner kick.  Brooklyn Phillips’ serve bounced around inside the box until Goettsche’s foot finally helped the ball find the back of the net with 35-seconds remaining in the game.

“We had so many flurries in front of the goal that just flew away on us,” Stock said of the goal, “But this one was able to find the back of the net.”

The last-second goal forced overtime and despite out shooting the Golden Eagles 7-1 in the final two periods, Southern Utah was unable to break the tie and had to settle for its second Summit League point.

The Thunderbirds will be back in action on Sunday when Southern Utah welcomes the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona.  Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS BATTLE THE SPARTANS AND THE ELEMENTS FOR THE 1-0 VICTORY

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Sept. 16 – Southern Utah women’s soccer picked up its first win of the season, overcoming the San Jose State Spartans and a 30-minute lightning delay in a 1-0 finish on a neutral field at Northern Arizona University.  SUU sophomore Laura Goodrich picked up the lone goal of the match in the 72nd minute by way of a penalty kick.

“I’m proud of the way our girls battled today despite the weather delay,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.  “The difference in our team from today to last week is amazing and I expect them to continue to get better.”

Neither team scored in the first 45-minutes of the game as Southern Utah was credited with eight shots to San Jose’s six.

The deadlock was broken in the second half when Goodrich was awarded a penalty kick as SJSU’s Nina Butera rushed from her goalkeeper position and collided with the Thunderbird attacker.  Goodrich made the most of the opportunity by tucking the shot into the net for the 1-0 advantage.

The teams then cleared the field amidst a torrential downpour and lightning delay, lasting for 30-minutes.  Stock said he was worried that the momentum that the team had built prior to the delay would subside, but the Thunderbirds held on down the stretch for the win.

In all, Southern Utah out shot San Jose State 14-10 during the day with senior keeper saving each of the Spartans’ six shots on goal.

The victory improves the Thunderbirds’ record to 1-2-2, while the Spartans drop to 0-3-2.  Southern Utah will be back in action when the team returns home on Friday for a meeting with Summit League rival Oral Roberts at 4:00 p.m.

Box Score

STAUNCH DEFENSIVE EFFORT LEADS TO 1-1 TIE WITH SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Sept. 13 – A dominating defensive effort for Southern Utah women’s soccer helped the Thunderbirds to a 1-1 tie with South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon.  SUU came from behind to score an equalizer with three minutes remaining in the game to force the overtime periods.

“We had great opportunities this game, but it really just comes down to finishing off those chances,” head coach Brian Stock said after the game.

The Thunderbirds were strong in the attacking third throughout the game, out shooting the Jackrabbits 24 to six, narrowly missing several game winners in the process.

The first half was quite balanced between the two teams with the first really strong chance coming in the 23rd minute off the foot of South Dakota State’s Chelsea Lira as she pushed a ball just over the cross bar and the out stretched hand of SUU keeper Holly Senter.

The Jackrabbits found their mark in the 34th minute when Danni Healy played a ball past Senter as she came off her line.  The ball rolled softly into the lower corner of the goal for the first score of the game.

The 1-0 score carried through the first half and long into the second.  However, the deadlock was not without equalizing chances by the Thunderbirds.

In the second half, Southern Utah tallied 11 shots while locking down SDSU to zero shots during the final 45 minutes.  Several chances sailed just high or just wide for the ‘Birds until SUU freshman Allison Goettsche blasted a cross from Shaley Ipson to the back of the net in the 87th minute to tie the game and force the overtime period.

Southern Utah continued the attacking pressure in both overtime periods, tallying four shots to the Jacks’ one, but the shots wouldn’t find the back of the net in the 1-1 draw.

The season will continue for the Thunderbirds on Sunday as the team travels to Flagstaff, Arizona for a neutral field match with the San Jose Spartans.  Southern Utah will then return home to resume Summit League play when the Thunderbirds host Oral Roberts on September 21.

Box Score

SOUTHERN UTAH SHUT OUT IN LOSS TO BOISE STATE

POCATELLO, Idaho – Sept. 9 – Southern Utah women’s soccer suffered its worst loss in the program’s history when the Thunderbirds fell to the Boise State Broncos 9-0 on Sunday in the final game of the Idaho Governors Cup.  It also marks the first time SUU has given up nine goals since 2001.

“It was just one of those games where anything that could go wrong did,” head coach Brian Stock said after the loss.  “We were hanging with them in the first half and thought that we could make some adjustments and get back into it in the second half, but it just didn’t happen.”

In the first half, the Thunderbirds were only out shot five to four by the Broncos and trailed 2-0 going into the break.

However, it was in the second half that the flood gates opened up and Boise State scored seven goals on 18 shots in the runaway victory.

“This is in no way a reflection of the quality of our team,” Stock said.  “It was just one of those fluke things that happens every once in a long time, but I give a lot of credit to Boise State.  We know the things we need to fix and will be ready when we open at home on Thursday.”

The Thunderbirds will open at home with inaugural Summit League opponent South Dakota State on Sept. 13.  The match is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS DROP GAME ONE OF IDAHO GOVERNORS CUP

POCATELLO, Idaho – Sept. 7 – Southern Utah women’s soccer faltered in its first of two games at the Idaho Governors Cup with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Idaho Vandals.  Idaho’s Jennifer Hull led the charge with two goals as the Vandals improved to 2-0-0, dropping the Thunderbirds to 0-1-1.

“We didn’t come out as crisp as we needed to and allowed a quick goal,” head coach Brian Stock said about Hull’s goal at the 1:47 mark.  “It was a one-on-one situation and she beat our defender.”

The early goal caused the Thunderbirds to play from behind for the rest of the half as the Vandals carried the 1-0 advantage into the break.

“In the second half we were much better at creating opportunities, but we couldn’t finish,” Stock said of the final 45 minutes.  “Once again a keeper beat us with some tremendous saves.”

In the final half, the Thunderbirds out shot the Vandals ten to seven and created attacking pressure with three corner kicks to Idaho’s one.

Despite the advantage, Hull was once again able to find a counter attack opportunity, scoring her second goal of the contest in the 57th minute.  In all, Hull tallied five shots on goal on her five shots during the day.

“I give her a lot of credit,” Stock said of the Idaho freshman.  “She was at the right place at the right time and took advantage of those situations.

Southern Utah wasn’t without solid performances as well with seniors Brooklyn Phillips recording two shots on goal on three shots and Catherine Johnson tallying three shots on goal on four shots.

“I’m confident in what we are doing as a team,” Stock finished.  “It is just a matter of doing the simple things that will get us over the hump.”

The Thunderbirds will wrap up their competition at the Idaho Governors Cup when the team faces off against the Broncos of Boise State University on Sunday morning.

Box Score

SOUTHERN UTAH BATTLES UVSC TO 1-1 DRAW IN SEASON OPENER

OREM, Utah – Aug. 31 – Despite out shooting the home Wolverines 22-14, the Southern Utah University women’s soccer team battled to a double-overtime draw (1-1) in the teams’ season opener at Utah Valley on Friday afternoon.

SUU created attacking pressure in the first half, opening an advantage of six goals to the Wolverines’ two.  Southern Utah’s Shaley Ipson appeared to have the first goal of the game in the fifth minute, but the shot to the lower-left corner of the net was called back on a penalty as the junior battled with the UV defender.

The teams rolled with the ebb and flow of momentum through the first 45 minutes with the pendulum swinging in the direction of Southern Utah’s attacking third, but the score remained 0-0 at the end of the half.

In the second half, Utah Valley broke the tie as Jenni Clough found the back of the net, following a scrum off a corner-kick set piece in the 62nd minute.

“It was frustrating to be down a goal at that point after we had great pressure in the attacking third all game,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “However, we were able to battle back and could have posted the win, but their goalkeeper made some great saves.”

The Thunderbirds bounced back and looked to tie the game with 15 minutes remaining in the half as freshman Erin Marble directed a ball to the top corner, but Utah Valley keeper Mallory Schott made an incredible leaping save, recording one of her nine saves on the day.

SUU continued to offensive attack and tied the game a minute later as Laura Goodrich directed a ball to the opposite corner of the goal on an Ashley Westphal assist in the 75th minute.

The 1-1 deadlock continued through regulation and carried over to the first overtime as both teams narrowly missed scoring tries.

Utah Valley cracked a shot five minutes into the period, but the attempt skirted wide of the goal.  Two minutes later, SUU defender Kimly Anderson’s shot grazed the top side of the cross bar, denying the junior of the game winner.

In the second overtime, Southern Utah played with ten players for the final five minutes after Cassidy Berlin was booked with a red card, giving the Thunderbirds their fourth card of the day compared to the Wolverines’ one.

Despite the disadvantage, SUU continued to battle and out shot Utah Valley two to one in the second overtime period, but ultimately tied the home team 1-1.

“We got off to a great start during the game, but found that we need to be more disciplined in front of the goal,” Stock said.  “That said, this performance was 100-percent better than last week.”

The Thunderbirds will be back in action next weekend when the team participates in the Idaho Governor’s Cup Tournament in Pocatello, Idaho.  Southern Utah will open the tournament against Idaho on Friday, followed by a match with Boise State on Sunday.

Box Score

THUNDERBIRDS DROP EXHIBITION OPENER AT WEBER STATE

OGDEN, Utah – August 24 – Southern Utah University women’s soccer head coach Brian Stock had the opportunity to play all of his players as the Thunderbirds dropped their only exhibition game of the season 1-4 to Weber State on Friday afternoon.  Southern Utah appeared to have first-game jitters, as the Wildcats, playing in their third exhibition contest, didn’t need to work on early season team chemistry.

“It wasn’t the result that we wanted,” Stock said after the match.  “However, it was the test that we wanted.”

The Thunderbirds appeared to have struck first with a goal in the first five minutes of the game, but the try was called back due to an offside call.

Southern Utah continued the attack and pressured the ball well during the first 20 minutes of the game.  Despite the effort, Weber scored the first goal of the match on a counter attack in 13th minute as senior midfielder Shelli Gough tallied her first of two on a crossing header.

Gough added her second in the 24th minute with Lauren Parkhurst and Cassidy Williams credited with the assist.

SUU trimmed the lead to one as junior-transfer Kelsey Buchanan scored her first Division I goal on a Brooklyn Phillips assist.

“The goal by Kelsey really help turn the momentum to our side during the final minutes of the first half,” Stock said of the goal.  “We had several more shots down the stretch, but I give credit to Weber’s goalkeeper for making some good saves.”

Weber State added two more goals in the second half for the 4-1 decision as the Wildcats, a 2006 NCAA tournament team, exceeded the Thunderbirds in shots, shots on goal and corner kicks (14 to 8, 8 to 4, 3 to 2).

Southern Utah will open the 2007 regular season with a road match against the Wolverines of Utah Valley University on August 31.  Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

Box Score