CEDAR CITY, Utah (Sept. 3, 2023) – After a scoreless second half of play, the Lumberjacks and the Thunderbirds earned a 1-1 draw.
About five minutes into the match, Southern Utah earned their first corner kick of the match, sending it in just short of the cross bars before the Thunderbirds were charged with a handball and NAU began the counterattack. The Lumberjacks moved back down the field, recording their own corner. The Jacks put two chances together before being called offsides early on.
Allie Larsen found a quick opportunity about 12 minutes in, with some space on the right side to send a quick shot on goal as SUU's keeper, Julia Ortega picked up the save. Just moments later, Larsen replicated almost the same play looking to connect with a forward inside the box before Southern Utah's defenders were able to clear outside the box.
Olivia Bos, in her second-straight start on NAU's back line, proved her grit quickly once again as the freshman made a pivotal slide tackle as she went one-on-one with a SUU forward to help Corcoran pick up the save.
Southern Utah opened scoring as Mayu Yamamoto sent a long boot up into NAU territory, finding Whitney Gardner who took the ball into the box and scored her first of the season.
Josie Novak answered quickly for the Lumberjacks as
Allie Larsen sent a pass up the middle to
Allison Veloz on the right side of the field, who sent the one-touch pass back into some traffic where Novak stepped up to find the back of the net for NAU to tie things up.
About four minutes later
Morgan Caslin sent what looked to be the go-ahead goal in, just hitting the crossbar and bouncing out. The Jacks were awarded back-to-back free kick opportunities with about eight minutes remaining in the first half as
Maddie Shafer's went wide right and Novak's opportunity was blocked by an SUU defender.
Opening second half play, Gardner looked to put another on the board as she went one-on-one with
Natalie Manzo inside the box, missing on the shot just wide right. The Lumberjacks responded on an
Erin O'Connor throw in, sending the ball up the left side for
Kayla Shebar who sent the cross in as the ball was picked up by some wind and sent out right.
With thirty minutes remaining in the match, NAU led the box score with 15 shots to five, and eight shots on goal to SUU's three.
Manzo picked up back-to-back saves as Southern Utah sent in a corner kick from the right side. The thunderbirds picked up a deflection off the original send in, as Laney Kimble put one on goal and Manzo made the diving save through some traffic.
Dai Williams put her third shot on goal with just over ten minutes left to play as SUU's back line was able to record a block to keep the ball out of Ortega's reach. Just minutes later, Novak forced Ortega to make her eighth save of the game, sending another shot on goal as the Jacks tried their luck on the counterattack off of a SUU corner kick attempt. Both teams remained scoreless in the second half to take the game to a full time draw.
The Lumberjacks will head back to Utah next Friday as the team splits an away and home weekend again, taking on Utah Tech in St. George on Friday for a 4 p.m. game.
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