CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The Thunderbirds battled UC Irvine extremely well for 83 minutes, but a back-breaking goal in the 84th minute from the Anteaters led to a 1-0 loss in the home opener for the T-Birds.
Head Coach Steven Lindquist said
"Great effort today against a very talented team, we need to capitalize on our chances in the final third but I am proud of the way the team has battled. Now to start putting the final pieces together to close out these close matches!"
Game Recap
The first half was a back-and-forth battle for both teams. UC Irvine tested freshman goalkeeper Tatum Trout early, but Trout made a quality save to keep the game tied.
Southern Utah didn't have as many shots as the Anteaters in the first half, but when the T-Birds were able to get into the final third, they created some A+ chances.Â
Freshman forward Gracen Blieschke had a fantastic move that left her alone at the top of the box, and she fired a low, right-footed shot that the UCI goalkeeper saved as the game entered halftime at 0-0.
UC Irvine turned it up in the second half, possessing the ball for a long time in the Thunderbirds' final third, but SUU's back line was phenomenal once again and turned away a lot of attacks.
In the 80th minute, Ashlyn Woodbury played a free kick from just outside SUU's box that bounced over the heads of the back line of the Anteaters, and Ashlyn O'Malley found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but a diving save knocked the ball over the top of the net, and the game stayed 0-0.
Just four minutes later, a strong push from UCI led to a wild play in the box, and ultimately Mimi Dominguez found the back of the net and broke the 0-0 tie.
Statistical Recap
SUU had just four total shots, but three of them ended up on target.
Blieschke led the way with three shots and two on target, while O'Malley had the other shot and on-target attempt.
Tatum Trout had two saves in the match but faced 12 total shots.
Ashlyn Woodbury, Nao Yasuda and Rylan Tebbs each played the full 90 minutes for the Thunderbirds. Yasuda and Tebbs have played every playable minute so far this season.
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will be back in action on Sunday, September 6, at 11:00 a.m on the Thunderbird Soccer Field against Justice University. The game theme is "Pups on the Pitch," so come out and cheer on the Thunderbirds with your furry friends.
Follow Us
For all the latest on Southern Utah Soccer, follow @SUUSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Soccer Facebook page.
Donate
To help support Thunderbirds athletics, consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
