CHENEY, Wash. - Ashlyn O'Malley scored twice, including the game-winner with 6:28 remaining, as Southern Utah women's soccer defeated Eastern Washington 3-2 on Thursday, Oct. 22, to secure its first Big Sky Conference road victory since 2021.
O'Malley contributed to all three Southern Utah goals, adding an assist on Gracen Blieschke's first-half finish, while Tatum Trout made 11 saves to help the Thunderbirds claim three conference points away from home.
Southern Utah improved to 5-8-3 overall and 2-3-2 in Big Sky play.
The victory marked SUU's first conference road win since a 2-0 result at Sacramento State on Oct. 24, 2021, and Steven Lindquist's first Big Sky road victory as head coach.
O'Malley Leads the Way
O'Malley gave Southern Utah an early advantage, scoring an unassisted goal at 9:53. She then helped double the lead at 16:07, assisting Blieschke as the Thunderbirds built a 2-0 cushion in the opening 17 minutes.
Southern Utah carried that lead into halftime, scoring twice on four first-half shots.
After Eastern Washington tied the match late in the second half, O'Malley supplied the decisive response. Her unassisted finish at 83:32 restored Southern Utah's advantage, and the Thunderbirds protected the lead through the final whistle.
O'Malley finished with five points on two goals and an assist, scoring on both of her shots on target.
A Winning Response on the Road
The Thunderbirds answered a difficult late stretch with the goal they needed to leave Cheney with a victory.
Eastern Washington scored at 77:57 and again at 78:36 to erase Southern Utah's two-goal lead. SUU immediately returned to the attack, with O'Malley recording a shot just 16 seconds after the equalizer.
Less than five minutes after the match became tied, O'Malley found the net for the second time, putting Southern Utah ahead 3-2.
The Thunderbirds then closed out the final six-plus minutes to secure the Big Sky road result.
Trout Helps Finish the Job
Trout recorded five saves in the first half and six in the second, including two after Southern Utah reclaimed the lead.
She denied an Eastern Washington attempt at 85:32, then made her final save at 89:41 with just 19 seconds remaining to help preserve the victory.
Nao Yasuda, Rylan Tebbs and Dakota Hansen joined Trout in playing all 90 minutes.
Making Chances Count
Southern Utah scored three times on seven shots, putting four attempts on target.
Blieschke converted her only shot into a goal, while Halle Cowan contributed two attempts, including one on target. Madeline Buczyna added another shot.
With O'Malley involved in each scoring play and Trout providing key stops at the other end, the Thunderbirds paired an efficient attack with a strong finish to earn the conference road win.
Next Up
Southern Utah continues its road trip at Idaho on Sunday, Oct. 25, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. MT in Moscow, Idaho.
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