Aggie soccer wins fifth-straight contest
It would be a slight understatement to say the Utah State women’s soccer team is having a great season. The Aggies defeated Idaho 1-0 in overtime Sunday to record their fifth-straight victory.
USU is 9-4-0 overall and 3-0 in Big West Conference play.
“Something that has been consistent about most of our games is that they’ve been tight and they’ve been a battle,” said Utah State Head Coach Heather Cairns. “We out shot [Idaho] by a lot [24-5], which is a little deceiving because the play was a little more back and forth. In overtime, we just had to have our key defense hold us until we could put one in. We had to make sure we held them with no chances.”
Charlsie Harris scored the game-winning goal in the 96th minute. Cairns said Amber Tracy, although not credited with the assist, started the play.
Her scoring opportunity came on an odd-man scramble in front of the Vandal’s goal. The ball was deflected to Harris who drilled it past Idaho goalie Lindsay Smith.
It was her third goal this season and her second game-winning goal of the year.
Harris’ goal couldn’t have come at a better time and couldn’t have been more perfect.
“We were looking at the video and she had an inch margin of error,” Cairns said.
If she would have kicked the ball a second later the defender would have gotten it, and if she would have kicked it an inch higher it would have gone off the goal post.
Cairns had especially high praises for Utah State defender Melissa Baggaley.
“She had a heck of a game,” Cairns said. “It really was Missy [keeping us in the game]. She really held us together in the back and prevented a lot of their opportunities from even being created.”
The Vandals kept the ball on Utah State’s end for the majority of the second half. Despite recording three shots in the half, Idaho did not have any shots on goal.
According to Aggie records, it is the first time in school history USU has not allowed a shot on goal.
The Aggies had 10 shots on goal in the contest.
Megan Mills recorded her seventh straight shutout. The game also marked the second-straight overtime win for Utah State, a first for the program.
-juag@cc.usu.edu