Aug. 21, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
Utah Valley-San Diego State Final Box
The San Diego State women's soccer team made a statement early and never let up as it defeated Utah Valley, 6-0, in its season-opening game Friday night at SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs move to 1-0 on the year, while the Wolverines drop to 0-1.
The six goals represented the most SDSU has scored since posting a 7-0 victory over Air Force back on Oct. 17, 2008. The offensive performance also tied a school record for most goals scored in a season opener. San Diego State emerged with a 6-0 decision over Whittier in its first-ever Division I game on Sept. 16, 1989.
SDSU's attack started from the outset beginning with a third-minute goal. Hedda Regefalk started things by dribbling up the middle, but lost possession. The unlucky outcome became lucky as the loose ball went to Aliyah Utush, who knocked in the first goal of 2015 from three yards out.
Utush, the Aztecs' leading returning scorer from a year ago, then made it 2-0 when Stacie Moran sent a perfectly placed ball from 40 yards away to the sophomore, which led to a 3-on-1 break. This time Utush tickled the twine from 16 yards out to reach a third of her scoring output from 2014 just 24 minutes into the new campaign.
Later in the 36th minute, Morgan Darling stole the ball from a UVU player along the left side of the pitch and sent a cross to Zsuria Phare. The junior from Denver, Colorado, took it from there, knocking the ball into the back of the net from point-blank range. The goal, along with the two points, was the first of her Aztec career.
SDSU came out of halftime ahead, 3-0, and the lead swelled to four not even five minutes into the frame. Leah Pruitt centered a pass to Regefalk and the junior transfer from Bakersfield posted her first goal of her San Diego State career with a successful attempt from two yards out.
The scoring continued in the 56th minute when Moran connected with Angela Mitchell on another deep ball. Mitchell, a sophomore from Corona, streaked up the left side, stopped on a dime 10 yards away, switched directions and put a laser into the upper left corner to give the home side a 5-0 lead.
The sixth and final goal came from the freshman Pruitt in the 66th minute. The Rancho Cucamonga product put a well-placed ball into the lower left corner just past the diving Wolverine goalkeeper.
All in all, San Diego State outshot Utah Valley, 25-4, and owned an 11-0 advantage in shots on goal. SDSU also won the corner-kick battle, 9-3.
Every Aztec who suited up for the game saw action with 12 recording at least one shot. Leading the way was Regefalk and Pruitt, who both had a game-high four shots, including two on goal.
The SDSU defense was stellar in their first appearance of 2015 and goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn was never tested as a result. The senior played 77 minutes before giving way to freshman Kate Hart. Neither was forced to make a save.
San Diego State will look to carry the momentum into Sunday night's contest at No. 16/17 Kentucky. The game in Lexington is set for a 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT start on the SEC Network+, WatchESPN and ESPN3.