Women's Soccer 9/1/2012 5:26:00 AM SUU Strategic Communication

SUU Falls to UTEP in Opening Game at UCR Tournament

RIVERSIDE, Calif., 8/31/12 – A pair of late goals helped UTEP to down Southern Utah it the Thunderbirds latest outing in a match played at the UCR Tournament in Riverside, Calif. on Friday. Neither team was able get on the scoreboard until the Miners went up with seventy-eighth minute with the game's opening goal and then added an insurance goal in the closing moments for a 2-0 victory.

“We played from start to finish with the right intensity and focus,” commented SUU head coach Becky Hogan on her team's performance. “This was our best effort so far.”

Although they were outshot 10-6 in the opening frame, the Thunderbirds were on the offensive for the majority of the half. SUU came up with a solid scoring opportunity in the early minutes when Stacey Brinkman found herself open from the top corner of the box and blasted a shot that missed just wide, finding the outside edge of the net.

Southern Utah made another aggressive attack in the closing minutes of the period as Megan Palmer came up from the back line to bring the ball up the right sideline. The sophomore defender then sent a cross into the box that was redirected by Kaleigh Bosen to the feet of Madison Wood who fired a shot that was stopped by a diving save.

Freshman Savannah Spere drew a defensive foul in the sixty-seventh minute to give the T-Birds a free kick from just beyond the top of the box. Brinkman took the shot for SUU and fired a ball that deflected off a wall of UTEP defenders. The Thunderbirds battled to set up another shot as the ball bounced around but were unable to put it on frame.

UTEP was able to take a 1-0 lead with the match's opening goal in the seventy-eighth minute. The Miners played a long free kick into the box where used a header off a high bounce to put the ball into the top of the net.

The Miners then locked up the win with an insurance goal in the game's final minutes. Sophomore midfielder Mackenzie German fired a cross from the left side of the box that was redirected into the back of the net by Jade Babcock to set the final score at 2-0.

The Thunderbirds tallied a season high 11 shots in the contest and also held a 6-0 advantage on corner kicks.

“We had our best shot total, we just have to buckle down and work on the technical parts of finishing,” explained Hogan. “I really thought we were going to score on a corner kick, we had the opportunities but we have a team full of players who are too nice. We have to be fierce on go to battle when we're on the field.”

Southern Utah was held scoreless for a second straight time as UTEP goalkeeper Sarah Dilling went the full 90 minutes for the shutout to help her team improve to 3-1-1 on the season. The Thunderbirds are off to a 0-3-0 start on the year and will look to pick up their first victory when they take on New Mexico State this Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Kaleigh Bosen: F; 5' 9"; Freshman

#7 Stacey Brinkman: F; 5' 8"; Senior

#13 Megan Palmer: D; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#8 Savannah Spere: MF/D; 5' 5"; Freshman

#11 Madison Wood: F; 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#18 Kaleigh Bosen
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: F

#7 Stacey Brinkman
: 5' 8"; Senior
: F

#13 Megan Palmer
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: D

#8 Savannah Spere
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: MF/D

#11 Madison Wood
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: F