Oct. 17, 2006

Box Score

HONOLULU - Utah State's soccer team bounced back from the drama of being involved in an earthquake Sunday with an exciting 2-1 win over Hawai'i Monday evening at UH's Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

The match was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed until Monday due to an earthquake that shook the islands early Sunday morning. Power was knocked out throughout Hawai'i for most of the day Sunday, before finally being restored around 10:30 p.m. Hawai'i Time (2:30 a.m. Monday, Mountain Time).

"Our team had to fight hard today, the trip was eventful with the earthquake and not having water or electricity yesterday," an excited USU head coach Heather Cairns said afterwards. "Hawai'i doesn't lose much here and they are very good team at home. We faced a lot of adversity today."

With the win, Utah State evens its overall record at 7-7-1, giving the Aggies a .500 record for the first time since they were 2-2 after a loss to Washington State on Sept. 3.

The Aggies also improve to 2-0-1 in Western Athletic Conference action, overtaking Hawai'i for third-place in the league.

Hawai'i suffered its fifth loss in the last seven matches as the Rainbow Wahine are now 8-7-2 overall and 2-2 in WAC play.

Utah State improves to 4-1 on the road this season, including 2-0 in WAC matches, while Hawai'i falls to 5-3-1 at home, including 1-1 in conference home matches. The loss was just UH's third in the last 22 WAC home matches.

After firing a WAC season-high 30 shots in Friday's 0-0 tie with San Jose State, Utah State had only seven shots Monday, including four on goal. Only two of those shots came in the second half and resulted in both of the Aggies' goals.

Senior forward Charity Weston stole the ball from a Hawai'i defender and fired a left-footer into the back of the net from just inside the 18-yard box for a 1-0 Utah State lead in the 66th minute.

Hawai'i evened the match at 1-all in the 71st minute on a goal by Kelli-Anne Chang off a cross into the 6-yard box from Alexis Choi.

The Aggies countered with the game-winner from junior forward Dana Peart in the 89th minute, after senior forward Charlsie Harris chipped a ball over the Hawai'i defense through to Peart, who got her head on the ball and lofted it over Rainbow Wahine goalkeeper Kori Lu and into the net for the 2-1 score and the Utah State victory.

"We weren't having a lot of luck possessing in the first half, so after halftime we took more of a direct style and it paid off," Cairns said. "The first goal was on Charity's hard work. The second came off of what we have been talking about all season long in getting the ball to the forward, who then pushes the ball up top to the higher forward."

It was the Aggies' second 2-1 win over Hawai'i in as many years, matching last year's Utah State win at Logan.

"It's just awesome. We fought hard today," Cairns said. "They out-possessed us so we really had to work to keep the ball while keeping our space and our ability to attack."

The one-goal match gives the Aggies nine matches out of the last 10 outings that have been decided by one goal, and is their 12th one-goal match of the season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Ali Griffin made four saves on the match.

"Ali was really big in the first half," Cairns said. "She kept us in the match by making key saves, stopping some one-v-ones and making some deflections."

The Aggie defensive line of junior Jessie Malaska, sophomores Jessica Darrow and Alyssa Lowry, and freshman Lindsey Smart also recorded a team save, clearing the ball of the line for the fifth time this season.

"This team is a bunch of fighters, even when we scored the goal, Hawai'i came right back and scored so we had to keep fighting and fighting," Cairns said. "That's what is a unique character about this team is that they are just fighters and we found a way to win. Today it was all about competing and finding a way to win and we did it. It wasn't pretty but we did it. To be able to do that here in a Hawai'i after what was definitely a disappointment against San Jose State, shows how much we want a WAC championship."

The Aggies return home for a two-match homestand at Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field, hosting Nevada on Friday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. (MST), and Fresno State on Sunday, Oct. 22, at Noon (MST).

Sunday's match will be the Aggies' final home match of the season, and USU will be honoring its three seniors: forwards Charlsie Harris and Charity Weston, and midfielder Sierra Smith.

 Utah State (7-7-1, 2-0-1 WAC) vs. HAWAII (8-7-2, 2-2 WAC)
 Date: Oct 16, 2006  Attendance: 208
 Weather: Clear
 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 Utah State..........  0  2 -  2
 HAWAII..............  0  1 -  1
 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  65:42 USU Weston, Charity (unassisted) - defensive error, 17 left footer into rt.
  2.  70:09 HAWAII Chang, Kelli-Anne (Choi, Alexis;Fukuroku, Taryn) - cross by 20 into 6 yd. box, 7 with shot
  3.  88:18 USU Peart, Dana (Harris, Charlsie) - 15 thru ball, 22 head over keeper & foll
 Shots: Utah State 7, HAWAII 12
 Saves: Utah State 5 (Griffin, Ali 4; TEAM 1), HAWAII 2 (Lu, Kori 2)
 USU is now 2-0 all-time vs. Hawaii, winning 2-1 last year at
 Logan. Aggies have now played in nine one-goal matches in
 last 10 and a total of 12 total for the season. Aggies at
 .500 for first time since 2-2 after L to Wash. St. on Sept.3.
 Loss was just UH's third in the last 22 WAC home matches.