CEDAR CITY, Utah - Sept. 13 - Southern Utah women's soccer built a 2-1 lead at half time in a home contest against Utah Valley on Saturday afternoon, but had the lead pulled out from under them in the second half, falling 3-2 as the final horn sounded. The loss drops the Thunderbirds to 0-4-0 while the Wolverines move to 4-0-1.
Overshadowed by the loss was Shaley Ipson Allen's record-breaking goal in the first half that set her apart as the all-time leader in goals scored at SUU with 14 in her career.
"That record could have been a lot more special under different circumstances," head coach Brian Stock said after the game. "We were the better, physical team in the first half, but during the second half their pressure really inhibited the flow of the game for us."
UVU broke through with the first goal of the game in the 19th minute on a Jennifer Lohner shot from 20 yards that beat SUU keeper Sutton Fox. The Wolverines' Katey Turner was credited with the assist on the goal.
Southern Utah tied the game up seconds later as Allen roundhouse kicked a cross in the box from Jennifer Johnson, bringing her leg parallel to the pitch and blasting in the equalizing goal to tie the game at 1-1.
The Thunderbirds took their first lead of the game when Stacey Brinkman collected the rebound on a Kelsey Buchanan shot in the 33rd minute and found the back of the net to put SUU up 2-1. Southern Utah held onto the lead throughout the rest of the first half, taking an advantage into the break for the first time this season.
The lead held through the first ten minutes of the second half until Kendra Buchanan (younger sister to SUU's Kelsey Buchanan) ripped a shot from more than 25 yards away, tucking the ball underneath the top post to bring the score even at 2-2. UVU's Adrienne Schneider was credited with the assist.
Schneider took a similar shot two minutes later, striking the ball from 23 yards on a pass from Turner and putting the ball just beneath the cross bar to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead.
Both goals were scored on freshman keeper McKenzie Hadley after senior keeper Sutton Fox had to leave the game in the 50th minute after a UVU player rolled into her knees during a collision with an SUU defender.
Southern Utah continued to battle down the stretch and had several scoring chances just miss. Kimly Anderson's towering shot from 28 yards in the 67th minute curved just over the bar and a header by Allen in the 85th minute appeared to be going into the goal to tie the game, but was pushed out by UVU keeper Mallory Schott at the last second.
The sides were close to being equal in shots with 16 for the Thunderbirds and 15 shots for the Wolverines. SUU owned the advantage in the first half with 11 to UVU's six, but the Wolverines turned the tables in the second half with nine shots to the T-Birds' five.
Southern Utah will be back in action on Monday afternoon, when the Thunderbirds play their third Big West opponent of the season, hosting UC Irvine. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.
