Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The SUU soccer team traveled to Riverside on Friday and were able to come away with a tie thanks to late game heroics. Coach Hogan was very proud of the way the team played saying,
“I've never been prouder of the way this team responded to a challenge. It showed tremendous maturity to take a concept and grab hold of it and apply it straight away. Last year we fell to this team 4-2 so to come back just a year later and tie is a testament to how we have improved.”
The Thunderbirds came out firing in the first half. They would outshoot the Highlanders 7-2, but neither team would be able to score in the half.
The second half seemed to be following right in the path of the first until UCR midfielder Jessica Samano would put a header in the back of the net off a corner kick from fellow midfielder Kyra Taylor in the 68th minute.
As time was winding down in the second half, SUU was staring down its third loss with under five minutes to go. Seven seconds into the 86th minute, junior forward Payton Bonino would take a cross from junior midfielder Abbie Flandro and put it past the keeper with a header of her own to tie the game at one a piece.
The match would go into double overtime, but after four shots for UCR and three for the Thunderbirds neither team would be able to break the stalemate before the end of 110 minutes.
The Thunderbirds will return home to take on the UNLV Rebels on Sunday. The Rebels will be coming into Cedar City after taking their first loss of the season in Orem to recent SUU opponent UVU.
“We are locked in on a team philosophy and system and the time for experimenting is over. I'm excited to see how we come out on Sunday now that we have a taste of success. We are on the brink of a breakthrough and just need that one little push,” coach Hogan said of Sunday's matchup.
Sunday's kickoff is set for 1p.m. Fans are invited to come out and cheer on the Thunderbirds as they look for their first win of the season. Those that can't make it can follow the game with live stats and a live stream on suutbirds.com.
To stay up to date during the games and throughout the 2016 season follow @SUUSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah University Women's Soccer page on Facebook.
