USU soccer knocked out of tournament in 2 overtimes, 1-0

After outscoring opponents 21-3 in the past four games, the USU soccer team was knocked out of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament by one goal in double overtime by Hawaii – the only goal of the game.

The match wasn’t the high-scoring shootout USU Head Coach Heather Cairns said she expected going into the game. In fact, both teams finished the game with only seven shots on goal, but all that really mattered was the game-winning shot 39 seconds into double overtime by UH defender Koren Takeyama.

Taking a cross from the left wing, Takeyama nailed a powerful shot from a tight angle 20 yards out to put the ball past USU goalkeeper Ali Griffin. The goal marked Takeyama’s first goal of the season, adding herself to the ever-expanding list of scorers for the Rainbow Wahine.

“It was a really even match and both teams had opportunities to win the game,” Cairns said. “Both goalkeepers came up big, and Hawaii took their chance and put the ball in.”

Though USU never found the back of the net, it wasn’t from a lack of trying. Junior forward Candice Clark, who has been the catalyst to the Aggies’ success in the tournament, had six of the seven USU shots on goal, including one close shot in the final 10 seconds of regulation play that was barely thwarted by UH goalkeeper Nicole McClure.

Freshman standout forward Lauren Hansen, the leading scorer for the Aggies this season, was limited to just one shot on goal. Senior forward Abby Hunt, playing in the final game of her USU career, fired off three shots with one on goal but couldn’t get anything to land.

With the high level of competition and Hawaii itching to avenge a 3-2 loss in Logan on Oct. 26, USU stuck with the starters through most of the game, only substituting in two players. Griffin tallied six saves on the day.

With the loss, USU was eliminated from the WAC Tournament, propelling Hawaii to the final match Sunday, where the Rainbow Wahine defeated Fresno State 1-0, winning their first-ever WAC title and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

USU finished the 2007 season with a 10-11-0 record to tie last season’s 10-win season – the most wins ever for the USU soccer program. In conference play, the Aggies finished 5-2.

-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu