BOX SCORE (HTML / PDF)Dixie State could not overcome a pair of second half Southern Utah goals as the Red Storm dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to the Thunderbirds in DSU's exhibition opener Thursday night at Hansen Stadium. SUU, which played the contest as a regular season match, improved to 2-3-0 on the year with the victory.
Both team battled through a scoreless opening half, though the Storm narrowly missed a scoring the first goal of the contest midway through the eight minute as freshman
Tori Washington (South Jordan, Utah/Herriman HS) hit the cross bar with her first shot. SUU returned the favor nine minutes later as Jahna Tacson found the cross bar with a shot, however her teammate Ally Thimsen was there to play the carom, but her attempt sailed high to keep the Thunderbirds off the board.
Tacson would deliver just two minutes into the second half as she played a deflection of a DSU defender and chipped the ball over the head of DSU keeper
Stacie Gubler (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) to give SUU a 1-0 lead.
Dixie State would come back with the equalizer late in the 74
th minute as senior
Jasmine Arollo (Glendale, Ariz./Apollo HS) took a touch pass from Washington and tucked home a shot past the drawn out SUU keeper to knot the score at 1-1. However that celebration was short lived as the T-Bird midfielder Abbie Flandro collected a free ball and booted a shot from 25 yards out to put SUU back on top at 2-1.
The Storm had a chance late in the 85
th minute to draw even, but again the Storm found the cross bar as freshman
Tiffany Huyette (Murray, Utah/Jordan HS) came within inches of tying the match. SUU outshot Dixie 14-5, including a 7-3 edge on frame. DSU sophomore keeper
Danica Nusink (Springville, Utah/Springville HS) started the match and made one save in 45 minutes, while Gubler stopped four shots in a losing effort.
Dixie State officially opens the 2015 regular season this Saturday as the Storm opens a four-game California road swing with a stop at the Antelope Valley. Kick off is slated for 11 a.m. (PT) in Lancaster.
