POCATELLO, Ida. - Three second-half goals by the Southern Utah University women's soccer
team were not enough against Idaho State University who used a goal off a
penalty-kick to record the eventual match-winner to hold on for a 4-3 non-conference
victory Sunday afternoon.
"It was a tale of two halves for us today,"
stated head coach Brian Stock. "We played outstanding late in first half and
the whole second period. We had some good attacks and came out of the second
half playing an aggressive style of soccer but couldn't not overcome the early
goals by ISU."
The Thunderbirds had their three-match unbeaten
streak come to and end despite receiving second-half goals from Emily Belnap,
McKenzie Hadley and Riley Bassett. Southern Utah (2-2-1) outshot the Bengals
10-5 in the second half but a Bengals goal off a penalty kick in the 79th
minute put ISU up for good.
Idaho State (5-2-1) recorded two goals in the
first half and later scored another just minutes into the second half to go up
3-0. The Thunderbirds regrouped and began to put together some offensive
attacks. Belnap was the first to score, finding the back of the net from nearly
40 yards out for her first career score.
Southern Utah would continue the offensive
pressure as Hadley added her first career goal midway through half, slipping a
shot between and ISU defender and charging keeper and into the right side of
the goal to cut the ISU lead to 4-2.
Exactly a minute later, the Bengals received
a break as an ISU player tripped over a Thunderbird in the box and was awarded
a penalty kick. Idaho State scored on the kick to take a 4-2 advantage.
Minutes later, SUU's Kally Barker held
possession of the ball inside the ISU 18-yard box and was taken down from
behind, earning a penalty kick for the Thunderbirds. Southern Utah leading goal
scorer in Bassett took the penalty kick and fired one into the right upper "V"
for the goal, notching her sixth score of the season and making it 4-3 with
four minutes remaining.
Idaho State went on to hold possession over
the final minutes to end any hopes of SUU of making a comeback. Goalkeeper
Charly Booth made eight saves for the Thunderbirds.
Southern Utah take to the road next weekend,
playing two matches in Flagstaff, Ariz., facing Northern Arizona University on
Saturday and the Air Force Academy on Sunday.
