CEDAR CITY, Utah - Freshman Ashlyn O'Malley scored for the second straight match, but Southern Utah women's soccer fell 2-1 to Northern Colorado on Sunday, Oct. 18, in Big Sky Conference play at Thunderbird Soccer Field.
The Thunderbirds (4-8-3, 1-3-2 Big Sky) won the second half 1-0 and matched the Bears with 13 shots and eight shots on goal.
O'Malley Keeps Scoring
O'Malley cut the deficit in half in the 61st minute, finishing a feed from Suika Shibutani at 60:11. The forward from Rogers, Minn., put all three of her shots on goal and now leads the Thunderbirds with five goals.
O'Malley has scored all three of SUU's goals in Big Sky play: the game-winner against Portland State on Oct. 4, the opener against Northern Arizona on Thursday and Sunday's tally.
Shibutani, a sophomore from Okayama City, Japan, picked up her first assist as a Thunderbird. She has started all 15 matches this season.
Second-Half Push
SUU outshot UNC 7-6 after halftime and earned both of its corner kicks in the second half. Gracen Blieschke added three shots, while Madeline Buczyna, Sofia Alcorn, Bridget Guevara and Halle Cowan each put a shot on target.
Northern Colorado scored at 7:30 and 33:35 in the first half. Freshman goalkeeper Tatum Trout made six saves and has started every match this season, with 67 saves on the year.
Season Marks
O'Malley's goal and Shibutani's assist moved SUU up the program's single-season lists. The Thunderbirds' 27 goals tie the 2010 team for the fourth-most in a season in program history, one behind 2011 and 2015 (28). Their 23 assists are now the second-most in a season by themselves, passing the 2011 team (22) and trailing only the 2022 record of 25.
Brooklyn Bradley went past 1,000 minutes for the season and has 1,056. She is one of seven Thunderbirds to start all 15 matches, along with Dakota Hansen, Shibutani, Rylan Tebbs, Trout, Ashlyn Woodbury and Nao Yasuda.
Tebbs, a junior defender from Cedar City, made her 45th career appearance, extending her record for a Cedar City native. Her 37 career starts rank second among Cedar City natives, three behind Rachael Hunt's 40 (2020-22).
Next Up
Southern Utah opens a two-match road trip at Eastern Washington on Thursday, Oct. 22, in Cheney, Wash. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. PT (4 p.m. MT). The Thunderbirds then play at Idaho on Sunday, Oct. 25.
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