CEDAR CITY, Utah - Redshirt-freshman forward Whitney Wangsgard and true freshman forward Sammie Sofonia each scored a goal in the first-half, and the Southern Utah University women's soccer team won their fourth conference match and ninth overall this season, setting a program record for the most wins in a single season in SUU soccer history.
"We just locked up the most wins in school history with six games still to go," said SUU Head Coach Kai Edwards. "That's something you have to really celebrate when you set a record like that in a 20-year history."
The Thunderbirds returned to their usual offensive form in the first half, as less than five minutes into the match, Southern Utah midfielder Hailey Hamataka forced a Sam Houston turnover and took the ball deep into Bearkats territory. Hamataka drew the last defender to her, then played a perfect pass to Wangsgard, who recorded a high-quality finish, scoring her sixth goal of the season and fourth in conference play to give the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead.Â
Southern Utah continued to press their attack in the first half, prohibiting the Bearkats from gaining any momentum or quality offensive opportunities. 33 minutes in, SUU broke through again, as Sofonia ripped a shot from outside the box that the Sam Houston goalkeeper was unable to handle, which crossed the line to give Sofonia her seventh goal of the season and first in WAC play.
The Thunderbirds entered halftime with a 2-0 advantage, and SUU held an 11-5 advantage in the shot count, while maintaining 60 percent of the possession time.Â
Southern Utah continued their dominant play in the second period and created multiple opportunities to extend their lead; but, they were unable to find the back of the net in the second half. Fortunately, they did not need to, as the Thunderbirds backline and goalkeeper Megan Short once again had an impressive half, completely shutting down the Sam Houston offense.
Southern Utah cruised their way to 2-0 victory and earned their ninth overall victory of the season. SUU is currently in third place in the WAC conference standings.
Notable Stats:
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Southern Utah owned 60 percent of the total possession time throughout the match.
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The Thunderbirds recorded 19 total shots, nine of which were on target.Â
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SUU goalkeeper Megan Short earned her fifth shutout of the season.
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Southern Utah set a program record with their ninth victory of the season, marking the most in a single season in school history.
Kai Edwards Postgame Interview
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will return to the pitch this Friday, as they are scheduled to complete their match against Utah Tech that was postponed at halftime. The game is set to begin at 3 p.m. MT, and the Thunderbirds will begin the match down 1-0.
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