POCATELLO, Idaho - Oct. 24 – Southern Utah (6-6-3, 3-3-2 Big Sky) was edged 2-1 in a road matchup at Idaho State (7-7-1, 4-3-1 Big Sky) on Friday. The Thunderbirds were able to battle back to even things up after falling behind in the first half, but another goal by the Bengals in the 77th minute would prove to be the difference.
“We gave up two goals on set pieces which is something that comes down to effort and execution,” stated SUU head coach Becky Hogan. “In my opinion a team should never get scored against on set pieces and this is consecutive Friday's where we've given up goals on set pieces.”
ISU went ahead in the 21st minute after capitalizing on a corner kick. The ball was played in to a scramble in front of the net where senior forward Amanda Ellsworth was able to sneak in a shot to give the Bengals a 1-0 edge. Freshman Maria Sanchez was credited with the assist on the play.
The Thunderbirds came back in the second half when an Idaho State infraction handed them a penalty kick. Junior forward Nancy Brich fired the ball into the left corner of net on the try to even the count at 1-1. The score marked her team-leading sixth goal and the first penalty kick of the season for Southern Utah.
Senior midfielder Allyssa Kenny put the home team back in front with less than 15 minutes remaining on a goal set up by a pass from Vanessa Cabilan. The Bengals held off SUU from there to claim the 2-1 victory.
“Our team clearly frustrated ISU when we possessed the ball and knocked it around them,” commented Hogan. “Unfortunately we weren't as crisp as we needed to be in the final third. We certainly had our chances to score and didn't capitalize on them.”
Idaho State posted a 19-7 shooting advantage, while the Thunderbirds held a 4-3 edge on corner kicks. Goalkeeper Taylor Bolding recorded five saves for the T-Birds but took the loss while Sheridan Hapsic earned the win with three stops between the posts.
“Our effort level and focus needs to improve if we want to have a shot at postseason play,” explained Hogan. “We know what it takes to win and have not yet mustered a full game where we execute those principals.”
Next up for Southern Utah is a meeting with rival Weber State. The match is set to get underway this Sunday at 12 p.m. with live stats available at www.suutbirds.com.
