TUCSON, Arizona — Utah State soccer (2-5-1, 0-0 MW) suffered a 1-0 loss Sunday afternoon, falling to Arizona as it concluded a two-match stint at the Arizona Classic at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium.
In a match which began as a defensive battle, each side registered just one shot on target through the first 45 minutes. The Aggies' best first-half look came early, when sophomore midfielder Kaylie Chambers fired a shot into the arms of Arizona keeper Hope Hisey.
The Aggie offense found some momentum after the halftime break, registering seven shots in the second half. The teams exchanged opportunities through much of the half, remaining even until a 77th minute goal off the foot of Arizona's Nicole Dallin found the top corner of the net.
Despite the deficit, Utah State continued to create strong opportunities late in the match. Junior forward Bizzy Arevalo split a pair of Wildcat defenders in the 87th minute, but a right-footed attempt at the top corner deflected off the frame. Chambers had another opportunity from the middle of the box in the 88th minute, but had her shot blocked by an Arizona defender.
Three Aggies played all 90 minutes in the contest, including the defender duo of senior Kelsey Kaufusi and junior Addy Symonds-Weichers. Graduate keeper Diera Walton played the full match in net for USU, recording three saves on four shots faced.
Utah State now returns home to Chuck and Gloria Bell Field to host No. 1 BYU on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m. The match will be streamed on Mountain West Network, with links to the live stream and stats available on utahstateaggies.com.
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
-USU-
