CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's soccer team will return to the field Friday afternoon, seeking to maintain their perfect start to the 2022 fall season and set a new program record with five consecutive victories.

Game Info

Southern Utah vs South Dakota

Date: September 2, 2022

Kickoff: 4 PM MT

Location: Cedar City, Utah

Venue: Thunderbird Soccer Field

Stream: ESPN+

Live Stream | Live Stats 

Preview

Southern Utah (4-0, 0-0) will be making their first appearance on the pitch since Hailey Hamataka scored a game-winning goal in the 86th minute, as the T-Birds went on to pick up a thrilling 2-1 victory over UTEP for their fourth consecutive victory to start the season.

The win over the Miners extended what has been the best start to a season in program history, in addition to tying the program record for the most consecutive victories. 

The Thunderbirds will now look to continue their remarkable start to the 2022 season, as they welcome a talented and stingy South Dakota team to the Thunderbird Soccer Field.

The Coyotes (1-3-1) have faced a challenging schedule to start their season, falling in close contests to Loyola Chicago, Northern Iowa, and Colorado State, while picking up a tie against Portland State, and securing their lone win on Tuesday with an 8-0 rout of Dordt University.

Shaylee Gailus has led the way offensively for the Coyotes this season, recording a team-high three goals and adding one assist on the year. Preseason All-Summit League forward Joana Zanin has also had a strong start to the season, creating a formidable duo on the front line for South Dakota. SUU's back line and goalkeeper Megan Short will need to continue their dominant play to keep the Coyotes' offense in check. The Thunderbirds have only allowed one goal this season, and Short will look to secure her second complete-game shutout of the year.

Southern Utah's offense still ranks first in the nation in scoring, averaging five goals per game. The Thunderbirds have also scored a goal in the first 16 minutes of every game this season, as they have yet to trail in a match this year. 

South Dakota has struggled at times defensively this season, allowing eight goals in their first four games, as the Thunderbirds will look to attack early and control the pace of the game from kickoff.

Southern Utah's elite offense has received contributions from across the board throughout the season, and a handful of individuals rank in the top-15 in the country for multiple different offensive categories.

Freshman Sammie Sofonia is still the country's leading goal-scorer this season (6), while Victoria Caucci and Ashley Rivera are tied for fourteenth in the country in total assists (3). After scoring her third consecutive game-winning goal against UTEP, midfielder Hailey Hamataka ranks first in the nation in that category.

Southern Utah will seek to bring a high level of intensity to the match and continue their brilliant start to the season by picking up their fifth victory in as many games. 

Notable Stats:

• As a team, Southern Utah ranks first in the country in total goals and total points.

• The T-Birds are also tied for eleventh in total assists and tied for fourteenth in goals against average.

• Megan Short ranks 27th in the nation in save percentage and 34th in goals against average.

• Southern Utah women's soccer has the opportunity to set another record Friday, as no team has won five consecutive games in the history of the program. 

History

Southern Utah and South Dakota have met twice before on the soccer field, with the Thunderbirds securing victories in both of the prior matches. SUU and South Dakota most recently played in 2015, with the T-birds claiming a 3-1 victory.

Follow Us

For all the latest on Southern Utah Soccer, follow @SUUSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Soccer Facebook page.