OGDEN, Utah, Oct. 26 – Southern Utah's Logan Harker picked the perfect time to notch her first two goals of the season, as the sophomore forward led the Thunderbirds (7-6-3, 4-3-2 Big Sky) to a 2-1 overtime victory at Weber State (5-12-1, 2-6-1 Big Sky) on Sunday. The win keeps the T-Birds in the hunt for the Big Sky Tournament as they get set to close out the year at Northern Arizona this Friday.
“I was really proud of our effort to bounce back from a disappointing loss on Friday and battle a tough in-state rival,” stated SUU head coach Becky Hogan. “With this win we live to fight another day, and that's all you can ask for at this point. With one game remaining we find ourselves in a position to win and be in the tournament. I believe wholeheartedly in this team and our ability to make that happen.”
The Thunderbirds held a 1-0 advantage at the break after Harker connected on a shot that went just over the fingertips of goalkeeper Danielle MacKay in the 29th minute. The Wildcats answered early in the second half when Mackenzie Harrison found Stacy Bair in front of the net for the equalizer.
The match remained deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation, sending the action into overtime. The extra period lasted just under seven minutes before Harker struck again, this time out-maneuvering the WSU defense from the corner of the box for an angled shot that sealed the 2-1 win for the T-Birds.
“Logan Harker was absolutely big time for us today. She's been on the brink of breaking through so many times, it was really fitting that she was the hero of the game today,” commented Hogan. “Logan personifies a true warrior spirit, she has the biggest heart and desire to win. On the final drive to goal you could see on her face that nothing was going to stop her.”
Weber State tallied a 14-9 shooting advantage for the match, as well as a 3-1 margin on corner kicks. SUU goalkeeper Taylor Bolding came up with four saves however to help the Thunderbirds come out on top.
The Thunderbirds have now taken back-to-back wins over Weber State under the direction of Coach Hogan.
The Big Sky Tournament is just two weeks away with nine of the league's 11 teams still in contention for a postseason berth. Montana has locked up the top-seed and the right to host the championship event, but spots two through six are still up for grabs.
Southern Utah will need at least a draw at Northern Arizona on Oct. 31 to have a chance to get in. Live stats and video for that match will be available at www.suutbirds.com.
