CEDAR CITY, Utah - It's been a slow start to 2017 for the Southern Utah University soccer team, but the Thunderbirds will look to turn things around this weekend against the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers.
Previously On Thunderbird Soccer
The Thunderbirds played just one match last week, as they traveled to Iowa City Thursday night to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Hawkeye Devin Burns put together her first career hat trick in the first 11 minutes of play, setting the tone as the Thunderbirds fell 8-1. MaKenzie Lawrence put the Thunderbirds on the board with her second goal of the season in the 39th minute of play on an assist from Meghan DeHerrera.
In what has been a bright spot all season, the Thunderbirds continue to lead the Big Sky in fouls per game. They have kept their contact to a minimum all season, averaging just 5.60 fouls per game in their five contests so far. They hold nearly a three foul lead over the next lowest in Northern Arizona at 8.40 fouls per game.
Scouting Report: Nevada Wolf Pack
The Wolf Pack will enter Friday's match with a 1-4 record so far in 2017. Their only win came in their most recent home match, a 3-2 win over Sacramento State. Nevada has been shutout in four out of five contests, including 1-0 losses to both Portland State and Northern Arizona. Three different players have scored goals for the Wolf Pack this season, including junior Rylee Peterson who lead the team in points in 2016.
These two programs have only matched up once before when the Wolf Pack took a 2-0 victory over the Thunderbirds in the 2002 UNLV Classic. The Thunderbirds will be the fourth of six Big Sky opponents the Wolf Pack will play in 2017.
Scouting Report: Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers
The Panthers come into the weekend as one of five teams in NCAA Division I that have yet to allow a goal in 2017. They currently hold a 5-0-1 record on the season, shutting out all six of their opponents to date, including a 0-0 draw with Akron to open the season. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Mallory Geurts has been the goalkeeper in all six shutouts, making 24 saves on 62 shots faced. Freshman Mackenzie Schill leads the team in goals scored with three in her first season as a Panther.
This will be the first meeting between the Thunderbirds and the Panthers in the history of the two programs.
Coach's Corner
On being on the road for the fourth straight week:
"With 13 away games, everything becomes a short week for us, so we need to make sure they have adequate time for rest and to keep up on their classes," head coach Fred Thompson said. "Last week we gave them an extra day off on Tuesday and we'll probably do something like that every week as we keep building towards conference play."
On leading the Big Sky in fouls per game:
"I think that's one of the things that people like about our game. We keep a good flow and it isn't interrupted with fouls and other things that slow down the play. It also speaks to the way we play soccer in the Big Sky," Thompson said.
On the team's upcoming opponents:
"The great thing is we are always looking forward to our next game. Both games this weekend pose a different challenge," Thompson said. "Nevada hasn't scored a lot of goals, but they don't give up a lot either. They tend to be pretty strong in the back, they bring numbers behind the ball, and they seem to take a great deal of pride in keeping the ball out of the net. Milwaukee is a pretty athletic team. They are strong and fast and they can strike the ball from a distance so you have to keep an eye on them. Playing in Milwaukee also brings the added challenge of playing on turf where the ball tends to bounce around a lot so it will force us to change how we play."
Match Info
Friday's match in Reno is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. Mountain time. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network. Links to live stats and a live video stream can be found at suutbirds.com or nevadawolfpack.com.
Sunday's match in Milwaukee is an early one, with kick off is set for 11:00 a.m. Mountain time. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. Links to live stats and a live video stream can be found at suutbirds.com or mkepanthers.com.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2017 Thunderbird Soccer season by following @SUUSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Soccer page on Facebook.
