With just three games left in the regular season, the Southern Utah University soccer team will soon embark on its final road trip of the year. They’ll head to Cheney, Wash., on Thursday, Oct. 22, to face Eastern Washington University at 4 p.m., then go to Moscow, Idaho, to take on the University of Idaho on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
SUU and EWU have battled 11 times since 2012, with the Thunderbirds earning a victory in 2013 and 2015. The Thunderbirds are 1-5-2 in the all-time series with the Vandals, with their last faceoff ending in a 0-0 tie and the last SUU win coming in 2017.
Southern Utah update
The T-Birds are 4-8-3 on the season and hold a 1-3-2 conference record. They sit at No. 7 in the Big Sky Conference standings, right below Idaho. Their conference standing is better than three teams, including Eastern Washington.
SUU is 0-2-2 in their last four games, with just one win since Sept. 6. However, only one conference opponent has managed to score more than one goal against the Thunderbirds. Even Big Sky No. 1 Weber State University only mustered up a 1-0 victory against Southern Utah.
Southern Utah’s improvements on defense as of late has been readily apparent. Before Big Sky play began, five different opponents scored two or more goals against the squad. Freshman goalie Tatum Trout ranks No. 3 in the conference in saves and is one of just three Big Sky goalies to record nine or more saves in two different matches.
SUU has also been solid on the offensive end, getting shut out just thrice in conference play and just six total times this season. They lead the Big Sky in goals with 27, and would still rank No. 3 in goals even if all 18 of their scores against Justice University were removed. SUU is also the most careful Big Sky team, with the least fouls per game in the conference.
Freshman forward Ashlyn O’Malley is still the only Thunderbird to score a goal in Big Sky play so far this year. She leads the team with five goals and ranks No. 2 with 11 points and a 68.4% shot on goal percentage.
Scouting Eastern Washington
Despite a respectable 6-5-2 record on the year, the Eagles rank last in the Big Sky with a 0-3-1 conference record. After starting the year 5-0, they’re currently on a three-game losing streak and only have one win since Aug. 30.
EWU was shut out in three of their last four games and ranks second-to-last in the conference in assists. However, their defensive prowess rivals SUU thanks to the efforts of sophomore goalie Payton Hyde. She’s been the Eagles’ only goalkeeper all season and leads the Big Sky in saves per game while ranking No. 2 in save percentage.
The scoring leaders for Eastern Washington have been Mia Miconi and Deanna Montero. Miconi, originally from Ogden, Utah, is leading the Eagles with a 57.9% shot on goal percentage while she and Montero lead the team with three goals apiece.
Montero and Maya Bossenbrook have been the only EWU players to score during conference play. Bossenbrook has started all four Big Sky games while Montero has come off the bench every game this year.
Sizing up Idaho
The Vandals hold a strong 7-3-4 record on the year and are right above SUU in the Big Sky standings with a 1-1-2 conference record. Despite recently falling 3-0 to Northern Arizona University, Idaho only has two losses since Aug. 22.
Like SUU and EWU, Idaho has an impressive presence in the net. Despite ranking last in the Big Sky in saves for a starter, Vandal goalie Paula Flores is tied for the conference lead with seven shutouts. She’s only allowed nine goals in 1237 minutes on the pitch, which says a lot about her abilities and the assertive defensive positioning in Idaho’s gameplan.
Senior Sara Rodgers is the only offensive player to rack up over 1100 minutes for the Vandals, with the other four being defenders. Among those emphatic defenders is sophomore Miranda Goldner. She’s one of just four Big Sky players to record four assists this year, alongside SUU freshman Gracen Blieschke.
Idaho was one of the last teams into the Big Sky Tournament last year, and they’ll certainly be pushing to return there this season. Both road games will be a good challenge for an SUU team looking to finish out the season right and rise in the rankings.
Match details
SUU will face Eastern Washington at the EWU Soccer Field in Cheney, Wash., on Thursday, Oct. 22. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m.
The team will then take on Idaho at Guy Wicks Field in Moscow, Idaho, on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff will be at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Previous soccer article ——– Next soccer article
Author: Payson Davis
Photo by SUU Athletics
Editor: Lainey Porter
sports@suunews.net
