BOISE, Idaho - Utah State soccer is moving on to the Mountain West Tournament semifinals after posting a 1-0 victory over the fifth-seeded Colorado State Rams on Monday morning. Senior midfielder Ashley Cardozo recorded the breakthrough goal for the Aggies in the 50th minute when her shot from distance dropped over the head of the CSU keeper.
USU junior keeper Diera Walton logged her seventh shutout of the season, notching five saves while facing 14 Colorado State shots. The Rams pressured the Aggies in the second half, picking up nine shots and 12 corner kicks over the final 45 minutes, but the USU defense was able to hold firm.
Utah State finished the match with eight shots, led by Cardozo's four, including three on goal. Aggie defenders Kelsey Steed-Kaufusi, Addy Symonds and Kylie Olsen, along with sophomore midfielder Alex Day, went the distance for USU, playing the entire 90 minutes.
Steed-Kaufusi had a goal-saving clearance on the line for the Aggies in the 16th minute in what proved to be the Rams' best chance in the opening half. Cardozo tested the CSU keeper in the 33rd minute with a ripper of a shot to the lower corner, but the attempt was turned away.
Cardozo finally broke through early in the second half as her shot in the 50th minute found of the back of the net for her team-best seventh goal of the season. The Aggie defense then took it from there and held the Rams scoreless over the final 40 minutes of the contest.
Utah State will be back in action in the MW tournament semifinals, facing top-seeded New Mexico on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 11 a.m.
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