Arizona, Utah soccer battle to scoreless draw in Salt Lake City

Sabrina Enciso | Photo by Ryan Kelapire

It’s hard to score in Salt Lake City.

Arizona soccer battled to a scoreless draw with Utah on Friday, as the Utes posted their sixth shutout in seven home games this season.

Freshman goalkeeper Hope Hisey ensured the Wildcats came away with a point by making a career-high nine saves.

Jill Aguilera led the Wildcats with four shots, though it was one of her corner kicks midway through the first half that generated one of Arizona’s most dangerous scoring chances.

Samantha Falasco collected the service at the far post with a clean look at the goal, but her angled shot was reeled in by Utah keeper Carly Nelson.

Arizona’s Jada Talley, Brooke Wilson and Sabrina Enciso had two shots a piece. In the 12th minute, Enciso lofted a free kick into the box and Wilson headed it on frame, but Nelson punched the looping shot over the bar.

The Pac-12 saves lead added five more to her ledger Friday.

12' - wow wow wow the Cats are playing hard and playing to win!

Arizona 0, Utah 0 pic.twitter.com/SbaUwlXbz7

— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) October 19, 2019

Talley made a run into the box in the ninth minute, bursting past a pair of defenders, but Utah’s Tavia Leachman found a second gear and deflected the UA forward’s shot to safety.

Arizona’s attack fizzled a bit as fatigue set in, but there were a couple of late-game sparks.

With a minute left in double overtime, Wilson centered a cross to a streaking Morgan McGarry, but the redshirt senior could not get her foot on it as she got tangled up with a Utah defender.

Talley took a rip from the top of the box in the final seconds, but it sailed high of the crossbar. Barely.

The Wildcats (8-4-1, 2-3-1) outshot the Utes 14-12, though Utah (6-5-4, 1-2-3) had seven corners to Arizona’s six. The Utes had headers ring off the crossbar and the right post.

Hisey made a diving save in the 56th minute, thwarting a powerful shot by Holly Daugirda.

55' - Spoke too soon...this one is SO much better

Arizona 0, Utah 0 pic.twitter.com/FXOtGjWXXS

— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) October 19, 2019

The Wildcats host the Oregon schools next week, looking to snap a two-game winless streak. Arizona entered the week 34th in RPI, but could fall a few spots with the Utes being ranked 52nd.

Three of UA’s final five games are at home, and only one of those five is against a ranked team (No. 2 Stanford in Palo Alto).

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/31uuspR
via IFTTT