The Southern Utah University women’s soccer team picked up their second win of the season on Thursday, Oct. 2 in a 2-0 defeat of Tarleton State University. With the win, Southern Utah improves to 1-1 in conference play and 2-6-2 on the season.
This was the T-Birds’ first shutout of the year, thanks in part to the uncharacteristic lack of Tarleton offense, especially in the first half. Tarleton State falls to 6-5-2 on the season, 0-3 in conference play and have dropped three games in a row.
They made two shots on goal versus SUU, with both coming from sophomore forward Gabrielle Williams, who came in as a substitute. They also had just six shots in total after averaging over 13 before the game.
SUU was relatively quiet in the first half. Their first goal was scored and assisted by senior forwards Whitney Gardner and Sarah Assumma respectively at 57:42. The two players led the team with nine shots and six on target between the two of them, and played less time than nearly every other SUU starter.
The second was scored 59 seconds later by Assumma and assisted by freshman Halle Cowan. The forward from Saratoga Springs, Utah was playing just her fourth college game and nearly doubled her minutes on the season with 44. The assist was her first point of the season.
The Texans got a shot off right before the two SUU goals, but after the Thunderbirds took the lead, Tarleton had a stretch of more than 20 minutes with no shots. During that period they only recorded three fouls, an offsides penalty that nearly led to an SUU corner kick goal and a yellow card on sophomore midfielder/forward Reegan Wagg.
Senior keeper Mikayla Kendall had three saves in that stretch from shots by Gardner and Assumma. She still sits at the bottom of the WAC in saves. She has more minutes and games played than redshirt sophomore keeper and usual starter Emma Barnes but has allowed twice as many goals.
Tarleton’s top goal scorer and offensive producer Stevie Reynolds didn’t have any shots in 64 minutes. The senior forward from Bakersfield, California is still the goal and points leader in the conference. Besides Williams, no Tarleton player had more than one shot, and only two shots came from starters.
SUU redshirt senior keeper Jazmyn Brass didn’t have to make any saves in the first half. She had two in the second half including a hustle diving stop. After allowing over two goals a game this season, this was her first solo shutout, leaving Kendall as the one WAC keeper without one.
SUU continues their road trip with a game at Abilene Christian University on Oct. 5 at noon. Then they return to Cedar City to host California Baptist University on Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. Both games will be on ESPN+.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
