The Tulsa women’s soccer team concluded their season with a 3-2 loss to USF on Sunday afternoon at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium.  TU ended the year with an 8-10-1 record, including a 4-5 mark in the American Athletic Conference, while the Bulls moved to 12-3-2 overall and 4-3-2 in the league.

 

“I thought we competed today,” Head Coach Kyle Cussen said.  “It is always hard when the season ends, and really only one team ends their season with a win, but I didn’t see this coming.  I thought the way we played, fought and competed today was exactly what we asked them to do.  If you take out the first five minutes of each half it is a different outcome.  I am so proud of this team and where our program is at.  Our seniors are leaving this program in a better place.  We played the hardest schedule we’ve played before and we competed, so as a program we will be better for it, but it is tough when the season ends.”

 

Andrea Hauksdottir gave USF an early 1-0 lead as she scored from 18 yards out off a combination from Yasmine Hall and Trudi Carter with just 3:04 ticked off the clock.  Evelyne Viens gave the Bulls a two-goal cushion as she shot from 16 yards out, also off a pass from Carter just 70 seconds later.

 

Alyssa Kaiser cut the deficit in half as she drilled in a rebound attempt taken by McKenzi McAdams at the 6:05 mark, but neither team found the back of the net for the remaining 39 minutes of the half for the 2-1 score at the break.

 

Viens scored her second goal of the contest and her 16^th on the season for the Bulls with 50:20 on the clock as she dribbled around her defender and shot from 25 yards out.

 

Rachel Thun pulled TU to within one as she scored off a forward pass from Valiree Morris from 12 yards out, but the Golden Hurricane was unable to get the equalizer before time ran out.

 

USF had a 17-12 lead in shots, including an 11-8 advantage in shots on goal, while both teams had two corner kicks.

 

Tana Dake, Thun, Kaiser and Reagan Whitlow all had two shots, while four others had one attempt.  Rebecca Defer logged all 90 minutes in goal and picked up eight saves.

 

TU played the final game of the season without seniors Lana Bermel, Annie Sohmer and Olivia Viergutz who were all injured.

 

“I just thought we fought hard and played for our seniors that were injured and couldn’t play for themselves,” sophomore McKenzi McAdams said.  “We also lost a lot of players towards the end of the season due to injury and I think they’d be proud of how we played today.”

 

“I was playing for our seniors because they are the closest ones I’ve ever been with, and the pain I am feeling doesn’t compare to the pain of the seniors that were injured and couldn’t play today,” junior Rachel Thun said.  “Unfortunately we came up short today, but this season was special. I am looking forward to next year because we will continue to go up from here.”

 

“It has been really special; something that has really shaped me as a person,” senior Sierra Krenik said.  “I didn’t have a lot of confidence when I arrived on campus, but these coaches have given me confidence to be the soccer player and the person that I am.  I see this group of returners carrying on the tradition and taking what we’ve taught them and running with it in the future.”

 

“This senior class came in and has done an amazing job since the moment they stepped on this campus,” Cussen said.  “They are going to be sorely missed, but I am so proud of them and what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

 

Scoring Summary

Tulsa   1          1          -           2

USF     2          2          -           4

 

Individual Scoring

Andrea Hauksdottir (USF) at 3:04 (Yasmine Hall / Trudi Carter)

Evelyne Viens (USF) at 4:14 (Trudi Carter)

Alyssa Kaiser (Tulsa) at 6:05 (McKenzi McAdams)

Evelyne Viens (USF) at 50:20 (Grace Adams)

Rachel Thun (Tulsa) at 79:19 (Valiree Morris)

 

Goalkeeper Saves

Rebecca Defer (Tulsa) – 8

Kat Elliott (USF) – 6