Pair of goals help Utah Soccer shoutout Baylor

Sunday, October 20

Salt Lake City, UT

1 p.m.

University of Utah

8-5-4, 5-3-2

Baylor

7-7-4, 2-5-3

Baylor

Utah

10/20/2024 5:14 PM | Soccer

Box Score

Kelly Bullock and Lilliah Blum add a 2-0 advantage for Utes at final home match

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah women's soccer program marked their seventh shutout and second back-to-back shutout of the season, defeating the Baylor University Bears, 2-0, with help from junior Kelly Bullock and sophomore Lilliah Blum on Sunday afternoon at Ute Field.

With this success, Utah now tallies 8-5-4, with 5-3-2 in Big 12, while Baylor, now records 7-7-3 and 2-5-2 in conference play.

"This was a big-time win against a very good Baylor team," said head coach Hideki Nakada.

Though the Bears were able to put down the first shot of the match, the Utes reached the scoreboard in the 18^th minute. After navigating her way around Baylor defenders, graduate Devi Dudley sent a cross to graduate Taliana Kaufusi who went in for a header. Her shot going high and a little wide, Bullock was able to catch it before the Bears and boot it into the back of the net.

After being the sole point-provider over Houston on Thursday night, this goal from Bullock marks her second goal of the season and the second consecutive match where she has put Utah in front.

"I thought we started the game very positive and dominated the first forty-five minutes and created many quality opportunities," said Nakada.

Though the Utes went into the half with only Bullock as the scorer, the Utes were able to mark down ten shots to the Bears' two, with six different Utes contributing their efforts in the first forty-five.

After an offensive first half for the Utes, the Bears came out of the break hard, earning a corner kick in the 50^th minute and following it quickly with a shot off the top.

Blum was able to earn her third career goal collecting the ball off a chip from graduate Katie O'Kane and after outracing the defenders to the goal box, clipping the ball into the far-left corner, bumping the Utes 2-0.

With only two-minutes remaining, the Bears had no reprieve and Utah came out on top.

Senior Kasey Wardle spent her fourteenth game in the net for the Utes, collecting two saves and earning her fifth shutout this season and 11^th of her career. Wardle was also in the net for Utah's shutouts of Houston on Oct. 17^th, Oklahoma State on Sept. 29^th, Iowa State on Sept. 26^th, and Arizona on Sept. 12^th making this her fifth conference rival left nil.

"Baylor adjusted well in the second half and it was a battle, but I am really proud of our team for fighting until the end, it was a well-deserved victory," said Nakada. "We could not have ended our last home stand any better and now we look to finish the last regular-season game strong at Colorado next week."

Next Up
The Utes finish their regular season with a final match against Colorado in Boulder, Colo. on Oct.25^th at 7 pm. at Prentup Field.

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