ST. GEORGE – The Utah Tech women’s soccer team earned a hard-fought 3-3 draw at home against three-time defending WAC champion Utah Valley on Thursday.
Utah Valley opened the match on the front foot, recording the first shot on goal in the fifth minute courtesy of senior midfielder Sierra Pennock, but Utah Tech senior goalkeeper Brianna Frey was there for the save.
The Wolverines continued pressing, firing off two more chances in the 12th and 13th minutes that narrowly missed the target.
Momentum began to shift in Utah Tech’s favor soon after. In the 15th minute, redshirt sophomore forward Lataya Brost fired the Trailblazers’ first shot on goal, aiming for the bottom right corner, but it was saved by UVU senior keeper Leah Wolf.
Freshman forward Jocelyn Wright added to the pressure in the 18th minute, sending a strike toward the left post, only for Wolf to deny her once again.
Wright wouldn’t be denied for long. Five minutes later, senior midfielder Kyah Le found Wright on the left wing. Wright beat her defender and fired a right-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box to give Utah Tech a 1-0 lead.
Utah Valley responded in the 38th minute. A shot from senior midfielder Ruby Hladek deflected off a Utah Tech defender and fell kindly to junior forward Nixan Jackson, who slotted it home to level the match at 1-1.
Frey came up big again before halftime, making key saves late to give her five first-half stops and keep the score even.
Second Half
The second half began dramatically, as Utah Valley drew a penalty just four minutes in. Fifth-year senior Faith Webber calmly converted from the spot to give the Wolverines a 2-1 lead.
Utah Tech senior forward Lacy Fox tried to equalize with shots in the 61st and 66th minutes, but both were turned away by Wolf.
After the second attempt by Fox, junior forward Ella Rusick recovered the ball near the boundary and whipped a cross into the box. It found freshman Teagan Jaussi unmarked at point-blank range, and she delivered the equalizer in the 67th minute to make it 2-2.
The deadlock didn’t last long. Just a minute later, Jackson struck again for Utah Valley, pouncing on a rebound after Frey’s save to put the Wolverines ahead 3-2 in the 68th minute.
But Utah Tech kept fighting. Five minutes later, Fox worked her way into the attacking third and sent a cross into the box. Kyah Le connected cleanly, placing a shot past Wolf and into the left side of the net to tie things up once more at 3-3.
Utah Valley threatened twice more in the final 10 minutes, but Frey stood tall both times, finishing with a season-high 9 saves.
Despite being outshot 28-13 (13-9 on target), the Trailblazers’ resilience earned them a valuable point in a high-energy rivalry matchup.
By securing a draw, the Trailblazers stopped a three-match winning run by first-place UVU.
The draw also moves Utah Tech’s season record to 5-4-4 overall and 1-1-2 in WAC play.
Up next
Utah Tech returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 12, hosting California Baptist at Greater Zion Stadium.
The match will kick off at 1:30 p.m. MT as part of a doubleheader, following the men’s soccer match earlier that morning.
You can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen on 91.3 The Blaze.
Photo credit: Stan Plewe, Utah Tech Athletics.
