Aggie soccer team struggles in Big West Conference games
Soccer in the Big West Conference is a beast.
The Utah State University women’s soccer team found this out the hard way over the weekend as it lost its first two conference matches of the season to Long Beach State University Friday and the University of California Irvine Sunday.
Last season the Aggies opened up conference play against the same two teams, losing both games.
“Our team is very unpredictable and inconsistent,” said USU leading scorer Brigid Turner.
UCI 1, USU 0
Irvine’s goal came with 3:03 remaining in the first half off a penalty kick from forward Caroline Kabe. Aggie goalkeeper Megan Mills jumped out to the right, but Kabe’s shot went slightly left.
“I probably moved a little too early,” Mills said. “I could have held on a little longer, but PKs are PKs. They’re supposed to make them.”
Although USU (6-5-2 overall and 0-2-0 in Big West play) was outshot nine to five along with being outscored, both sides agreed the Aggies outplayed Irvine (5-5, 2-0).
“I felt that we, defensively, had to be very good [Sunday] because I thought Utah State outplayed us,” said Anteater Head Coach Marine Cano. “They had much better ideas than us. They made us play a very defensive-type game.”
The match might not have been as physical as the others the Aggies have been in this year, but Turner said Irvine was playing dirty.
Backing up her statement were the 17 fouls the Anteaters racked up.
“They were definitely dirtier,” she said. “They complained a lot, they yelled a lot, they pushed, they grabbed, they pulled hair – whatever they could do.”
Aggie Head Coach Jen Kennedy Croft said the reason USU had a difficult time putting a goal in was because the team wasn’t taking enough shots.
The five shots put up is the lowest total the Aggies have had in a match this season.
“We’re not trying to take shots that aren’t the perfect shot,” she said. “We need to start hitting things that might go in. It’s hard to start out 0-2 when you know you’re not an 0-2 team.”
LBSU 3, USU 1
USU’s goal came nearly 15 minutes into the game off a Megan Turner free kick that USU forward Heather Arnell headed in for her fifth goal of the season about five feet from the goal.
The Aggies 1-0 lead stood until the 49ers slipped in what Croft called two “soft goals” within three minutes of each other nearly five minutes into the second half.
An own goal that bounced off of USU forward Charlsie Harris tied the score at 1-1 with 40:20 to go.
LBSU (3-6-2, 2-0) upped the score to 2-1 three minutes later off a goal by defender Diana Sanguinetti.
The Beach put USU away for good with 12:30 remaining with a goal by forward Sarah Gamet.
USU goalkeeper Amy Johnson was called upon to start the game because Mills dislocated two fingers in her left hand in pregame warm-ups and was taken to the Student Health and Wellness Center, but played the entire second half giving up all three goals.
-samhis@cc.usu.edu