CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah women's soccer wraps up its regular-season road schedule on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Idaho. Kickoff at Guy Wicks Field in Moscow is set for 1 p.m. PT (2 p.m. MT).
The Thunderbirds bring a program record within reach: their 30 goals are one shy of the single-season mark of 31, set in 2022. Sunday's match puts SUU's attack, which led the Big Sky in goals in the conference's Oct. 19 statistics, against an Idaho defense that has allowed nine goals in 15 matches.
SUU closes the regular season at home against Utah Tech on Thursday, Nov. 5.
"Big result for us on Thursday, it was great to see the battle from the team to never quit. Another tough one coming on Sunday against another team that is strong in the back. Looking to continue creating and finishing chances as we chase another result."
Scouting the Thunderbirds
SUU is 5-8-3 overall and 2-3-2 in the Big Sky after a 3-2 win at Eastern Washington on Thursday. Ashlyn O'Malley scored in the 10th minute and set up Gracen Blieschke's goal in the 17th. After the Eagles tied it with two goals 39 seconds apart late in the second half, O'Malley answered with the game-winner at 83:32. Tatum Trout made a season-high 11 saves as EWU outshot SUU 28-7.
The win lifted SUU to eight Big Sky points, two ahead of Idaho. The Thunderbirds' two conference wins are their most in a Big Sky season since the 2020-21 spring season (three).
In Big Sky statistics as of Oct. 19, SUU led the conference in goals, assists and points in all matches. The Thunderbirds have 30 goals and 24 assists through 16 matches.
O'Malley, a freshman forward from Rogers, Minn., leads SUU with seven goals and 16 points and shares the team lead with two game-winners. Blieschke, a freshman forward from Strathalbyn, Australia, leads the team with four assists and 38 shots and has five goals and 14 points.
Trout, a freshman goalkeeper from Huntington Beach, Calif., has started all 16 matches, with 78 saves, a 1.38 goals-against average and a .796 save percentage. In the Big Sky's Oct. 19 statistics, she led the conference in saves and saves per match in league play.
Notes on the Thunderbirds
One from the record. SUU's 30 goals are the second-most in a season in program history, passing the 2011 and 2015 teams (28). One more ties the 2022 team's record of 31, and two would set a new mark. The 24 assists are one shy of the 2022 team's 25.
O'Malley's run. O'Malley has scored in three straight Big Sky matches, the longest scoring streak by a Thunderbird this season, and has five of SUU's six conference goals. Her two goals in Cheney were her second multi-goal match of the season; she also scored twice against Justice on Sept. 6.
Cedar City's own. Rylan Tebbs, a junior defender from Cedar City and Cedar High School, has 46 career appearances, the most by a Cedar City native in program history. Her 38 career starts are two shy of Rachael Hunt's Cedar City record of 40 (2020-22); starting Sunday and against Utah Tech would tie Hunt in the Nov. 5 finale in Cedar City. Tebbs leads the team with 1,342 minutes and has played every minute of 13 of SUU's 16 matches.
Ironwomen. Seven Thunderbirds have started all 16 matches: Brooklyn Bradley, Dakota Hansen, Suika Shibutani, Tebbs, Trout, Ashlyn Woodbury and Nao Yasuda. Eight have passed 1,000 minutes: Tebbs (1,342), Yasuda (1,314), Trout (1,304), Woodbury (1,250), Shibutani (1,135), Bradley (1,121), Hansen (1,088) and Blieschke (1,028). Sophomore midfielder Halle Cowan of Saratoga Springs, Utah, is two minutes from joining them at 998.
Clean sheet chase. SUU's five shutouts rank fourth in a season in program history. One more would tie the 2005 and 2007 teams (6) for second; the record is eight, set in 2022. The Thunderbirds are 4-0-1 when they do not allow a goal.
Gem State ties. Junior defender Sophie Clark of Boise is the only Idaho native on SUU's 2026 roster. She is one of six Idaho natives in program history, a list that includes goalkeeper Megan Flowers of Eagle (2001-04), who made 306 career saves, and Chandler Yost of Pocatello (2013-14).
On the road. SUU is 3-5-1 away from Cedar City this season. Thursday's win in Cheney was the program's first Big Sky road win since a 2-0 victory at Sacramento State on Oct. 24, 2021.
First-year head coach. Steven Lindquist is 5-8-3 in his first season as a head coach. SUU's five wins are its most in a season since the 2022 team won nine, when Lindquist was an assistant on staff.
Scouting the Vandals
Idaho is 7-3-5 overall and 1-1-3 in the Big Sky after a 0-0 draw with Utah Tech on Thursday in Moscow. The Vandals are unbeaten at home this season (4-0-3).
Defense has carried Idaho. The Vandals have allowed nine goals in 15 matches, have nine shutouts and have won all seven of their matches by shutout. In the Big Sky's Oct. 19 statistics, Idaho and Northern Arizona shared the conference's fewest goals allowed in all matches. Idaho is 7-0-3 when it scores and 0-3-2 when it does not, and it has been held scoreless in each of its last three matches.
Idaho has 15 goals and outshoots its opponents 229-125. Junior midfielder Hallie Prinos-Grumbach of Redmond, Wash., leads the Vandals with three goals and seven points. Sophomore defender Miranda Goldner has a team-high four assists, and senior forward Georgia Whitehead of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a Washington State transfer, has three assists and a team-high 34 shots. Makenna Stuart, Alyssa Hamilton, Payton Oelkers and Calli Chiarelli have two goals each.
Senior goalkeeper Paula Flores of Tijuana, Mexico, has played all but 23 minutes in goal, with a 0.61 goals-against average, 25 saves, a .735 save percentage and eight solo shutouts. Jeremy Clevenger is Idaho's head coach.
Series History
Idaho leads the all-time series 5-1-2. SUU is 0-3-1 in Moscow, 1-1-1 in Cedar City and 0-1 at a neutral site.
The Thunderbirds' win in the series came 3-1 in Cedar City on Sept. 29, 2017. MaKenzie Lawrence scored twice, one unassisted and one from Devri Hartle and Summer Soriano, and Ally Thimsen added the third goal. Kaitlyn Caldera made 11 saves, tied for the most by a Thunderbird that season, as Idaho outshot SUU 23-9 in front of 440 fans.
The teams played to a 0-0 double-overtime draw in Moscow in the most recent meeting on Oct. 3, 2021. SUU outshot Idaho 11-10 and put nine shots on goal in 110 minutes. Two of the eight meetings have gone to double overtime; the other was a 2-2 draw in Cedar City on Oct. 3, 2014.
Idaho's 2019 win in Moscow also needed extra time. Amberly Hastings scored SUU's goal off a Lawrence assist, and the Vandals won 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 20, 2019.
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