Peart’s header ends OT thriller

After losing 2-1 to Oregon on Friday, the soccer match against Idaho State, Sunday, Sept. 16, was about redemption for sophomore defender Lindsey Smart.

And redemption it was.

USU Head Coach Heather Cairns said after the Oregon game, Smart was “pretty upset.” Cairns said Smart felt like she had let the team down when she was tackled by an Oregon player in the box, following a well-placed corner kick, and didn’t clear the ball, allowing a goal for the Ducks. Cairns said she told Smart she could even things out by getting an assist against the Bengals.

“She had some fire in her belly today,” Cairns said of Smart. “You could tell she was trying to make up for that because she just felt so down about that. She really wanted to redeem herself and she did.”

Following a scoreless game in regulation, the Aggies came out in full force, repeatedly attacking ISU goalkeeper Maren Eves. In the eighth minute of overtime, forward Alysa Adams fed the ball to Smart, who was positioned about 30 yards away from the net. Smart kicked the ball to the far left post, where senior forward Dana Peart had crossed to, and Peart neatly headed the ball in to win the game for the Aggies.

“I knew she was going to get a good ball in,” Peart said of Smart, “and when I saw it, it was just a perfect ball, perfect curve, and I knew I had to get it in. It was a really good ball from (Smart). She played it well. Good job on her part.”

The goal was the fourth on the year for Peart and her second game-winning goal of the season. Peart finished the game with six shots, four of which were on goal.

“There was so much energy in the overtime that it was just a matter of time (before we scored),” said junior midfielder Lacey Christenson.

Late in coming, the Aggies’ goal came after 22 failed shots, 12 of which were on goal. USU had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the game, particularly in the second half, where three close shots missed the top of the net by inches. Eves tallied 12 saves on the day for the Bengals.

“We felt like we were pounding on the door, especially the second half,” Cairns said. “The first half was a little bit more back and forth. In the attacking third we weren’t particularly dangerous. In the second half we thought we straightened some things out and became a little more dangerous. To be able to put (the shot) in – we had 23 shots – with 23 shots you’d better be able to score one of those.”

The Aggies outpossessed and outplayed the Bengals in the second half in nearly every category. Idaho State managed to fire off only one shot after the first half, an easy save for USU junior goalkeeper Ali Griffin, who made four saves.

The first half was a fairly split battle between the two teams, with the majority of the action being played in the midfield. Both teams had early scoring opportunities from corner kicks but failed to convert. Neither team penetrated deeply off the run, resulting in long shots that were easy saves for the goalkeepers.

At the half, both ISU and USU had fired off seven shots and had four saves apiece.

At halftime, Cairns said she worked with her team to be more dynamic offensively.

“We felt that our forwards weren’t holding onto the ball like we needed,” she said. “We felt that they weren’t being decisive in what they wanted to do, whether it was a threatening run, to space or whether was to place the ball at feet. We felt they did much better as the game went on and that was a big emphasis of our halftime.”

That emphasis worked as the Aggies controlled the second half with urgency on the offense and defense.

“Idaho State played some combination passes that got around us a little bit, but I thought we covered pretty well,” Cairns said. “We kept our shape in the back, which limited their chances and frustrated them.”

Despite the excitement in the second half, the Aggies were still forced to finish the game in overtime.

Peart said the game was ultimately decided by which team wanted to win more.

“During the first 30 seconds, if you get a goal, you’re done,” Peart said of overtime play. “So it’s just about that fight and all of us wanted it. We attacked at the end and it paid off.”

Next up for the Aggies is Gonzaga, Friday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. in Spokane, Wash. Staying in the same state, USU will continue play against Eastern Washington, Sunday at noon.

-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu