Sunday, September 3
Fullerton, CA
2:00 PM
University of Utah
3-1-2, 0-0-0
2
at
2
Cal State Fullerton
0-3-3, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Cal St. Fullerton | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Players Mentioned
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
FOR
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ SoccerTeam Stats
UTAH
CSF
Goals
2
2
Shots
17
16
Shots on Goal
7
8
Saves
6
5
Corners
4
4
Fouls
8
16
Scoring Plays
Kaitlin Taylor (1)
Assisted By: Isabella Cruz
GOAL by CSF Taylor, Kaitlin Assist by Cruz, Isabella.
08:47
Vanessa Buso (1)
GOAL by CSF Buso, Vanessa.
41:10
Kelly Bullock (2)
Assisted By: Courtney Brown , Alex Schoenstadt
GOAL by UTAH Bullock, Kelly Assist by Brown, Courtney and Schoenstadt, Alex.
56:27
Taliana Kaufusi (3)
Assisted By: Katie O'Kane , Maryn Granger
GOAL by UTAH Kaufusi, Taliana Assist by O'Kane, Katie and Granger, Maryn.
68:53
Game Leaders
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
mid
Shots
8
SOG
4
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Photo by: Hunter Dyke/Utah Athletics
Despite Early Deficit, Utah Soccer Battles Back to Draw with Titans
9/3/2023 5:53 PM | Soccer
Bullock, Kaufusi get on the scoresheet in 2-2 tie
FULLERTON, Calif. – Despite conceding a pair of first half goals, the University of Utah women's soccer team rebounded with two second half scores to earn a 2-2 draw with the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Sunday afternoon at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif.
"Phenomenal effort in the second half to salvage the match today," said head coach Hideki Nakada. "We came out completely flat in the first half and dug ourselves in the hole. We made some adjustments at halftime, but more than anything, we were individually and collectively significantly sharper and cleaner on both sides of the ball and I thought we dominated the second half."
The Titans went on the attack early and would end the first half with a 12-5 edge in shots. Their first goal came in the ninth minute, when an Isabella Cruz pass found Kaitlin Taylor open at the top the 18-yard box and Taylor's shot slid inside the right post for an early CSF lead.
The Utes seemed to find their stride late in the period and they nearly evened the score on a free kick in the 40th minute, but Katie O'Kane's shot was saved by Mia Ranson to keep the score frozen. Moments later, the Titans were awarded a free kick and Vanessa Buso's try was deflected in for a 2-0 margin that remained intact into halftime.
The final 45 minutes started with the Utes controlling the pace of play and registering the first two shots of the half. In the 57th minute, a perfect long ball from Courtney Brown into the attacking area was chased down by Kelly Bullock. Bullock beat the keeper with one touch and booted the ball into the open net for the tally that cut the visitors' deficit in half.
Utah continued to put pressure on the Titans' defense in search of the tying score and in the 69th minute, the Utes' hard work paid off again. O'Kane sent a long pass forward for Taliana Kaufusi, who outraced her pursuers for the ball. Kaufusi dribbled around the keeper and knocked the ball over the line for her team-high third goal of the year to even the score at two.
Over the final 20 minutes the Utes outshot their hosts, 6-4, but were unable to uncover the go-ahead goal. Utah keeper Kasey Wardle, who finished the day with six saves, collected two late stops to prevent the Titans from regaining the lead.
After being outshot 12-5 in the opening period, the second half saw the Utes post a commanding 12-4 edge in that statistic. Those 12 tries represented the squad's highest number in a single half so far in 2023 and their 17 shots for the match were also a season-high. Joining O'Kane and Brown in filling up the assist column were Alex Schoenstadt, who assisted on Bullock's tally, and Maryn Granger, who contributed to Kaufusi's score. Those helpers represented the second of the season for both players.
"I am disappointed we weren't able to find another goal to win it," said Nakada, "as I felt we created enough to come out on top. I'm really proud of our effort in the second half and if we can consistently play the way we did in the last 45 minutes, we will be a tough team to beat."
Up Next
On Saturday, the Utes will be back on their home field to host the No. 7 BYU Cougars.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
"Phenomenal effort in the second half to salvage the match today," said head coach Hideki Nakada. "We came out completely flat in the first half and dug ourselves in the hole. We made some adjustments at halftime, but more than anything, we were individually and collectively significantly sharper and cleaner on both sides of the ball and I thought we dominated the second half."
The Titans went on the attack early and would end the first half with a 12-5 edge in shots. Their first goal came in the ninth minute, when an Isabella Cruz pass found Kaitlin Taylor open at the top the 18-yard box and Taylor's shot slid inside the right post for an early CSF lead.
The Utes seemed to find their stride late in the period and they nearly evened the score on a free kick in the 40th minute, but Katie O'Kane's shot was saved by Mia Ranson to keep the score frozen. Moments later, the Titans were awarded a free kick and Vanessa Buso's try was deflected in for a 2-0 margin that remained intact into halftime.
The final 45 minutes started with the Utes controlling the pace of play and registering the first two shots of the half. In the 57th minute, a perfect long ball from Courtney Brown into the attacking area was chased down by Kelly Bullock. Bullock beat the keeper with one touch and booted the ball into the open net for the tally that cut the visitors' deficit in half.
Utah continued to put pressure on the Titans' defense in search of the tying score and in the 69th minute, the Utes' hard work paid off again. O'Kane sent a long pass forward for Taliana Kaufusi, who outraced her pursuers for the ball. Kaufusi dribbled around the keeper and knocked the ball over the line for her team-high third goal of the year to even the score at two.
Over the final 20 minutes the Utes outshot their hosts, 6-4, but were unable to uncover the go-ahead goal. Utah keeper Kasey Wardle, who finished the day with six saves, collected two late stops to prevent the Titans from regaining the lead.
After being outshot 12-5 in the opening period, the second half saw the Utes post a commanding 12-4 edge in that statistic. Those 12 tries represented the squad's highest number in a single half so far in 2023 and their 17 shots for the match were also a season-high. Joining O'Kane and Brown in filling up the assist column were Alex Schoenstadt, who assisted on Bullock's tally, and Maryn Granger, who contributed to Kaufusi's score. Those helpers represented the second of the season for both players.
"I am disappointed we weren't able to find another goal to win it," said Nakada, "as I felt we created enough to come out on top. I'm really proud of our effort in the second half and if we can consistently play the way we did in the last 45 minutes, we will be a tough team to beat."
Up Next
On Saturday, the Utes will be back on their home field to host the No. 7 BYU Cougars.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
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