Utah Soccer Tops Weber State, 3-2

Thursday, September 9

Ogden, Utah

3:00 PM

University of Utah

Weber State

9/9/2010 12:00 AM | Soccer

Sept. 9, 2010

Box Score

OGDEN, Utah - The University of Utah women's soccer team (1-6) captured its first win of the season Thursday, going on the road to defeat Weber State (0-5) by a 3-2 score. Junior defender Lauren Dudley scored the game-winner on a free kick in the 66th minute of play.

Utah trailed 1-0 at halftime but tallied three goals in the second half to secure the win. Senior forward Lauren Hair tied the game at 1-1 at the 51:33 mark as she slotted a left-footed shot past the Weber State goalkeeper from inside of 12 yards after being played into the box by senior midfielder Morgan Skeen.

Utah took a 2-1 lead less than two minutes later as junior midfielder Chelsea Forbes found the back of the net after a great individual effort from junior forward Erin Dalley set it up. Dalley got on the end of a long pass, outrunning her defender and firing a shot at the goalkeeper, who made a nice initial save from close range. The rebound fell in front of Forbes, who was trailing the play, and she buried the one-timer.

Weber State tied the game at 2-2 in the 59th minute as Ari Wood bent a corner kick directly into the Utes' goal, but Utah responded in the 66th minute with Dudley's free kick. After Dalley drew a foul in front of the Utah bench, Dudley stepped up to the 30-yard free kick and drilled it just under the crossbar for the eventual game-winning strike.

"I think our team's true character really shined through today," said Utah head coach Rich Manning. "It was a back-and-forth game, we battled through some momentum swings and then we rode them out on top. We came from behind and from being tied on the road, it was a good result. I think it showed our commitment to teamwork and it showed a winning spirit. It was great to see."

All three Utah goals marked the first of the season for the respective scorers, while Skeen and Dalley were credited with their first assists of the campaign. It was Dudley's second career game-winner.

Utah outshot WSU 27-13 overall, with shots on goal going 13-6. Utah held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, while fouls went 16-6 against Weber State. Junior goalkeeper Hannah Turpen made four saves in the net, while her Wildcat counterpart, Ryann Waldman, finished with 10 stops.

Utah gets back into action Sunday, Sept. 12, as the Utes host Colorado College. Kickoff at Ute Field is slated for 12 p.m. and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a Utah Women's Soccer keychain.

Utah Player Quotes

Lauren Dudley
"Dalley drew a foul in a good spot and I was just thinking I was going to shoot it and score it. I have been working on free kicks in practice and have had some close ones. It feels good to finally get one."

"Any defender will say they love to score a goal, it's really exciting. To be able to put it in the back of the net feels great and it's big for us to know we can help on offense as well as defense."

"Getting the first win is a big sigh of relief. We have been working so hard and we have a good team. Hopefully this will propel us with momentum into our upcoming games. We scored three goals today and had even more opportunities. We haven't given up, we have strong character and we will keep building."

Lauren Hair
"It definitely felt good to score. One goal in six games is tough. I know we are a dangerous team and it was good to put up three goals today."

"We have been working hard. Dalley and I did a lot of running out there today and it felt great to finally contribute and then have the rest of the team carry us through. It was a great team effort today."

"It will be great to be at home Sunday and move on to our next game. Just like a loss, we can learn from this win and then focus on getting the next one. We have heart and character and we will keep fighting, and hopefully keep winning."