(St. George, Utah – Sept. 17, 2023) UT women's soccer hosted the Idaho State Vandals on Sunday afternoon, claiming a 4-3 victory in a back-and-forth contest. With the result, Utah Tech secured its third-consecutive victory to give the team momentum heading into a conference opener against Southern Utah next Friday.
 
"It was a roller coaster of a game but we expected that from Idaho State. They struggled early in the year but are on a real hot streak right now and have scored something like 12 goals in the last four games," head coach Lexi Brown said. "It was a good wakeup call for us in a lot of ways to get scored on that many times and have to keep saying, 'Okay, we've got to go find another.'
 
"Having the resilience to do that three separate times was really, really important for us. We have to be the ones who set the tempo a little better but I'm proud of the way we responded."
 
Amy Tipper and Madison Monson made their first starts of the season as Brynlee Rider wasted no time in breaking this game open. After combination play outside of the box opened up a two-on-one and some shifty dribbling from Ella Rusick, Rider cut across the face of goal and finished her third goal of the season with a flick to the near post off Rusick's cross, putting Utah Tech ahead in the 13^th minute.
 
Idaho State quickly responded with a goal in the 19^th minute to level the game, and both teams would remain level at the halftime break.
 
Utah Tech would out-shoot the visitors 6-0 in the first 25 minutes of the half and the relentless pressure was rewarded in the 71^st minute, as a Karli Heaton cross was redirected to the far post by Tessa Thornton to put Utah Tech ahead. Sunday's goal was the first of the year for Thornton and her first at the collegiate level.
 
The lead didn't last long, however, as the Bengals scored less than two minutes later on a penalty kick to level the game.
 
Heaton once again found herself on the score sheet, responding exactly 90 seconds after the ISU goal by heading in an Emily Garbett cross off a corner kick. Like Thornton, Heaton's goal was her first of the season, and it once against put Utah Tech ahead, 3-2, in the 75^th minute.
 
"That goal was meaningful to Karli in a lot of ways. It was important for her to get back on the board but it's been coming - she's had a good week and it was what we as a team needed to get her back on the board," Brown said. "To have Tessa also score, someone who's deserving of some goals but has been robbed a few times, was also really big for us."
 
Just like the time before, Idaho State quickly leveled things, waiting five minutes to finish in the 80^th minute and tie the game at three.
 
However, once again, Utah Tech responded quickly.
 
After Thornton gained possession near the midfield line and drove up the line, she played Rider in behind who redirected the pass to Lacy Fox, whose first-time finish to the near post flew past the Idaho State goalkeeper in the 86^th minute. For Fox, it's her third goal in the last two games and puts her up to a team-leading five goals this season, a tally which includes three game-winners.
 
This time, however, Utah Tech's defense stood tall and didn't allow the Bengals a shot in the final four minutes as the Trailblazers would claim a 4-3 victory at the final whistle.
 
In total, Utah Tech out-shot Idaho State 25-7, which included an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal. Brianna Frey would finish with one save as Hannah Petteys made her collegiate debut, playing nine minutes as a second half substitute.
 
"Really today was a collective team effort – we didn't necessarily have one person put the team on the back; it was everyone carrying the team," Coach Brown said. "There were seniors on the field and some who didn't get to play many minutes but I think everyone collectively made it happen for our seniors."
 
Sunday's result was the final non-conference game of the 2023 for Utah Tech, who enters WAC play with a 5-4-1 record that includes three-consecutive victories.
 
WAC play officially commences next Friday as Utah Tech welcomes rivals Southern Utah to Greater Zion Stadium.