Utah State ends up knotted with Portland State
The Utah State women’s soccer team faced a fate far worse than kissing your
sister Monday afternoon – a tie.
Utah State University (3-1-2) tangled itself up in a giant knot with the Portland State Vikings (3-1-3) 1-1 through two overtimes as winds gusted up to 25 mph on Bell Field.
“It’s a disappointing tie,” said USU Head Coach Jen Kennedy Croft. “Obviously we couldn’t buy [a goal] today.”
Putting a bitter taste in the mouths of USU players were the many opportunities throughout the game they failed to capitalize on, especially in the extra periods.
Aggie forward Brigid Turner, described by Croft as very dependable in penalty kick situations, had an opportunity at one late in the first overtime period after fellow USU forward Lacey Poulton was fouled inside the penalty box.
Turner’s kick went wide to the left.
“I have never seen her miss a PK, so that was kind of a shocker,” Croft said. “But you can’t pin the game on her. It had a lot to do with everything else.”
Turner, on the verge of tears following the competition, talked about the frustration of not being able to put the ball in the back of the net despite many
opportunities.
“Our defense played really well today,” she said. “We just couldn’t finish.”
USU forward Heather Arnell turned a scoreless game into the Aggie’s favor nearly 13 minutes into the first half, knocking in the goal from an indirect kick assisted by defender Megan Tanner and midfielder Ally Clegg. The goal was Arnell’s third this season, her highest output as an Aggie.
The Vikings didn’t chime in until the middle of the second half as PSU forward Melanie Langley headed the ball in through the center of the net out of USU goalkeeper Megan Mill’s reach.
Croft said the key to PSU’s goal was good transition on their part, something she said the Aggies still need to work on.
The Aggies out shot the Vikings 16-12, the first team this season to do so.
“A tie is always better than a loss,” Clegg said. “We definitely out played them, but we just didn’t get the ball in the back of the net.”
Both teams came into Monday’s game with an offensive confidence boost. Each thumped Southern Utah Friday and Saturday respectively, as part of the USU-hosted round robin tournament.
Saturday PSU didn’t give SUU any breathing room as they pounded the Thunderbirds 7-0.
The Aggies did much the same Friday the 13th, beating SUU 6-1.
Turner had a special visitor for Friday’s game. Her mom, who lives in Las Vegas, Nev. was in attendance.
“My mom has always said her lucky day was Friday the 13th,” Turner said. “I was excited because she lives so far away, so she hardly ever gets to see me play. I was feeling good.”
Her mom’s visit paid off.
Turner accomplished the hat trick and one assist.
Only she and two other former Aggies, Marnie Bartleson and Jayme Gordy, have scored three goals in one match.
This was the third time Turner has accomplished the feat in her USU career.
Arnell also turned in a solid offensive performance netting two goals. Her second was assisted by defender Shaylee Hogge and forward Claire Schend.
The final goal for USU came from midfielder Jessica Donelson with a little more than eight minutes remaining in regulation, her first goal as an Aggie.
When the Aggies started to pull away from SUU midway through the second half, SUU Head Coach Brian Stock yelled to his team from the sidelines encouraging them to not give up even though the deficit was large.
“It is always a little bit defeating when you give up stuff,” Stock said. “Especially when you work hard and get a goal to bring the game within reach and then you give up another one. At that point we were starting to play to defend.”
-samhis@cc.usu.edu