USU soccer shuts out Idaho State in road win

Freshman phenom Ashley Cardozo scored her third goal this season en route to a Utah State soccer win at Idaho State. The Aggies would score their second goal in the final minute of action to hold off the Bengals by a score of 2-0.

Cardozo, whose two goals coming into Friday’s match led the team, found herself across the pitch for the duration. One Idaho State commentator mentioned in the broadcast, “We’ve said her name, like a hundred times.”

The Aggies put pressure on the home team early and often, forcing opposing goalkeeper Shawna Hennings to come out frequently.

In the 25th minute, and after a gritty slide tackle at the top of the box, resulting in a Bengal defender receiving a yellow card, Cardozo sailed in the penalty over the wall and into the net. That goal would be the only scoring as the Aggies went into the second half up 1-0.

Idaho State committed seven more fouls than the visitors and Utah State had more three more shots-on-goal in the first half.

For the majority of the second half, Utah State launched balls into the box seemingly one after another. Of their 15 shots in the afternoon, nine of them would be on target. The Bengals had only two shots on goal, both saved by Aggie keeper Sara Cobb.

In a “run out the clock” scenario to finish the game, Utah State kept possession of the ball in the Idaho State defensive corner. After a few minutes of repetitive throw-ins and trapping, Cardozo found herself squeaking by defenders and found forward Alecia Robinson for an easy goal in front of the box.

It was Robinson’s first goal this year.

Utah State is now 3-1-1 on the year, with their only loss coming from a contest again No. 17 Utah. The Aggies will go on to play at Minnesota this Sunday, which will be their second game away in a stretch of nearly a month of only away matches.