Soccer soars through sixth straight win
Utah State 1, Utah 0
It was a historic day at the Chuck and Gloria Bell soccer field, Friday, when the Utah State Aggies women’s soccer team defeated the University of Utah, 1-0. The victory continued the Aggies best start ever giving the soccer team a 5-0-0 record in the 2011 season.
Utah State soccer hadn’t beaten the Ute’s at home since 1997 — a streak that has lasted 14 years. They also hadn’t beaten PAC-12 for 13 years.
“Utah’s a big rival,” sophomore forward Mari Miyashiro said. “It feels so awesome to beat them on our home field.”
The Aggies also picked up their second shutout of the season.
“Our biggest goal of this match was a shutout,” Aggie defender Natalie Norris said. “We finally achieved that.”
Despite a couple promising chances, it took the Aggies 85 minutes to get on the board. USU wasn’t able to convert until a ball off the foot of Miyashiro found its way across the goal line.
“It was a fantastic game,” said USU head coach Heather Cairns. “Both teams had control at different times, we just gutted it out and took advantage of that opportunity.”
With the loss, the Utes are still without a win and have failed to score a goal through the first four games of the schedule.
Norris and fellow defender Taryn Rose had particularly strong performances along with goalkeeper Molli Merrill, who recorded the shutout — their third on the season.
Merrill stopped seven Utah shots and recorded six saves in the match.
Utah had some good chances in the second half, including a shot off the foot of Ute Lauren Dudley, who caught Merrill out of position; but the Aggie defense compensated for Merrill’s positioning and prevented the score.
The first half ended 0-0.
The Aggies broke through on a set piece from Miyashiro in the 85th minute. Rose put a free kick on goal that was deflected by Utah goalkeeper Hannah Turpen. The ball bounced to Kendra Pemberton, whose attempt was also denied a goal by Turpen, who then deflected it to the feet of Miyashiro. Her shot barely crossed the line, but it was enough to give the Aggies the 1-0 lead.
“I was right in front of the goal, and I just kicked it in,” Miyashiro said.
The late goal was Miyashiro’s first game winner of the season, and second overall.
Utah State 1, CSF 0
The Aggie women’s soccer team faced off against the Cal State Fullerton Titans Sunday, winning yet again, 1-0. The overtime win marks the sixth straight win for the Aggies and continues their undefeated season.
Pemberton scored the only goal in the game just one minute into the second period of overtime. The 5-foot-9 sophomore raced up the left side and buried a shot past CSF keeper Lindsey Maricic from more than 20 yards away — ending the game and winning in double overtime for Utah State.
Pemberton said she just didn’t want to run for another eight minutes.
“I was so exhausted,” Pemberton said. “I didn’t really remember it because it happened so fast.”
“We just watched the goal on video,” Cairns said. “You can’t ask for a more perfect shooting technique. Everybody stood there because she ripped it so hard. Nobody moved, and I didn’t think she had that much time to get the shot off, so she really worked hard to get that off. It was a quality strike.”
Merrill saved two goals in the first half. A Titan goal by sophomore Nikki McCants was called back, offsides. The Aggie offense made a couple nice shots but could not get past Maricic, and the first half ended in a standstill, 0-0.
The second half began with what seemed like a huge rush of energy from both the Aggies and the Titans. Cal State Fullerton kept the ball on the opposing side of the pitch for the first few minutes, but the Aggie back line stopped the ball from reaching the net. Once, Utah State was able to overtake the ball and Miyashiro took a shot on goal, but it was stopped by Maricic.
With just two minutes left in the second half, USU senior midfielder Chandra Salmon took a shot at the CS Fullerton goal — Maricic again shut it down. The second half ended scoreless, 0-0.
CSF got the ball within inches of crossing the goal line, two minutes into the first overtime, but the Aggie defense and Merrill were able to keep the Titans from scoring.
—meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu
Landon Hollingsworth contributed to this report.