Utah Valley 4, Idaho State 2
POCATELLO, Idaho --(UVU Media Relations) Utah Valley University more than doubled its season total in goals Tuesday, scoring a quartet in a 4-2 win over defending Big Sky Conference champion Idaho State at Holt Arena in Pocatello. Seeing her first collegiate minutes, freshman Taylor Kirk tallied twice in the victory.
Due to thunderstorms in the area, the match was moved into the indoor facility after a delay of two and a half hours. It was the first-ever soccer match to be played at Holt Arena and first non-football or basketball game to be contested in the venue since the early 1980s.
"It was a crazy day," said UVU head coach Brent Anderson of the conditions and relocation. "Everything started off great, it was nice and cool and we thought we were going to get the game in. And then it just started to pour and the lightning started. With such a long delay and then the decision to move indoors onto an artificial surface with narrow dimensions, I was a little concerned about our focus level. But we held it together and the girls came out focused and ready to attack."
The Wolverines (1-3-0) took a two-goal lead into intermission on a pair of freshman firsts. Sheridan Fox notched her first collegiate tally in the 39th minute when a scramble in front of goal dropped the ball right to her feet. Turning on her left, the true freshman slotted a low, right-footed shot into the lower right corner.
The advantage was doubled less than five minutes later on Kirk's headed effort. Reorganizing the attack, Kim Stratford played a ball back along the right sideline to another newcomer in Katelyn McLeod. The sophomore defender immediately sent a long, hard cross to the back post near the six-yard box. Kirk put a head to it and sent a driven shot from a difficult angle straight at the shins of ISU goalkeeper Sheridan Hapsic. The ball was just too hot to handle, though, as it ricocheted off Hapsic and into the net to open Kirk's career scoring account.
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