(St. George, Utah – Sept. 28, 2023) Utah Tech women's soccer hosted California Baptist on Thursday, playing the Lancers to a 2-2 draw at Greater Zion Stadium. The result moves UT's record to 5-4-3 on the year with a home game against Grand Canyon scheduled for Sunday.
 
"Tonight was all about grit and winning the ball. It was not pretty at times but we battled more than we've battled in a single game this season and that's what got us the result," Head Coach Lexi Brown said. "Passion and grit, those are two words we've talked a lot about this season and it came out tonight. You could tell that there was so much passion in the way we played and so much grit to get the result against a very good team."
 
Sporting the same starting eleven that played SUU to a 1-1 draw last week, it would be the visitors who broke the game open with an early goal, scoring off a set piece in the 12^th minute to take an early advantage.
 
Though both teams created chances throughout the first half, it would take until the second half before another goal was scored, and CBU held a 1-0 lead at halftime.
 
It would take just 2:15 of play in the second half before Utah Tech found the leveler it was looking for, coming off the foot of Lacy Fox, who netted her seventh goal of the season. Fox, who scored off an assist from Michelle Rodriguez, has now scored in five-consecutive games dating back to a 1-0 victory over Portland State on Sept. 10.
 
CBU would regain the lead in the 60^th minute, but Utah Tech looked poised to level the game 20 minutes later when a Gracie Knutzen header came flying off the woodwork on a corner kick. UT continued to create opportunities in transition before finding the breakthrough in the 84^th minute.
 
After regaining possession near the midfield line, Brynlee Rider went on a long run to the edge of the box, cutting through three Lancer defenders to play a pass to the far corner for Kearney Hoggan. Hoggan played one-time pass back across the face of goal for Rider, who hit it high with her right foot into the back of the net to level the game at two.
 
"It's something I've been working on a lot – being confident when driving forward and cutting in and out through players. To experience that tonight was a huge confidence builder," Rider said. "That doesn't happen unless I have defenders and midfielders behind me, supporting me in the attack, and for Kearney to make a perfect run and slot that ball back across, that doesn't happen without the rest of the team. To be able to score was huge."
 
California Baptist looked close to taking back the lead with a shot from the edge of the box with just four seconds remaining, but Brianna Frey came up with a diving save to secure the 2-2 draw.
 
Both teams would finish with five shots on goal as the visitors held a 15-13 advantage in total shots. Both Utah Tech and CBU each took four corner kicks while the Trailblazers drew 10 Lancer fouls. Fox's three shots led the team while Frey would make three saves in net; Frey, Knutzen, Tessa Thornton and McKinley Barney all played the full 90 minutes.
 
Utah Tech is back in action on Sunday, hosting the Grand Canyon Lopes. Kickoff at Greater Zion Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.