Women's soccer: Aggies end scoreless game in penalty kicks

sports@dailylobo.com
@KyTo22

The fourth-seeded University of New Mexico women’s soccer team fell to fifth-seeded Utah State in penalty kicks after the game ended in a 0-0 double overtime tie in the second round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament at the UNM Soccer Complex Tuesday night.

The first half ended scoreless with UNM and USU combining for nine shots, three of them on goal.

Sophomore midfielder Dylann O’Connor and freshman forward Ruth Bruciaga both had shots on goal that were saved by the Aggies’ goalkeeper, Natalie Stoven.

Possession was nearly split in the first half as both teams struggled to maintain the ball.

“I thought we played very well; we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” said UNM head coach Kit Vela. “In the first half we were nervous, and in the second half I thought we played very, very well and had a lot of opportunities.”

UNM (8-10-3, 6-3-2 MWC) came out of the locker room with aggression, controlling much of the possession in the second half.

The latter half started with a ball-bending shot by Bruciaga from the right side of the box, which was saved by Stoven.

“I think we just relaxed,” Vela said. “We relaxed and realized (we could) just play.”

The crowd nearly erupted with 4:47 left in scoreless overtime as O’Connor played the ball past a defender and shot just high of the net.

This was the Lobos’ fourth straight game that has gone into double overtime. After neither team was able to find the back of the net in either overtime, the game went to penalty kicks.

UNM scored on its first two kicks, but the following two were saved. USU (10-6-5, 5-3-3 MWC) scored on four of its five attempts, winning 4-2.

The Aggies will play number one seed San Diego State University Thursday night in the third round of the tournament. The game will take place at the UNM Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.

Boise State defeated Wyoming 3-0 earlier Tuesday evening.

The winners of both of these games will play each other Saturday at 1 p.m. in the MWC Championship game.