Soccer drops 1-0 decision at Utah

by Sarah Fetters

September 9, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - After a scoreless first half, Utah's Jill Robison struck for a goal at 55:30 off an assist from Katie Taylor to lift the Utes to a 1-0 victory over Texas at Ute Field on Saturday afternoon. Robison lobbed the ball over the outstretched arms of Texas sophomore goalkeeper Ava Vogel for the score.

After Texas spent the majority of the first 10 minutes of the match in the attacking third, the Longhorns registered the contest's first shot at 11:46 on an attempt from sophomore Allison Smith. The attempt was blocked and did not get through to Utah keeper Lindsey Luke.

The Utes responded with their first shot at 16:16 when Taylor's attempt went over the goal.

The teams exchanged shots in the 26th minute, but both attempts went wide left. Utah had the next scoring opportunity at 28:01 when Avery Ford fired an attempt on goal off a free kick, but Vogel recorded her first save of the match. Ford took another shot in the 32nd minute, but it went over the net.

After the Utah offensive spurt, Texas senior Kristin Cummins took a shot that Luke saved at 32:19.

The Utes took the last five shots of the half in the final 11 minutes of the opening period. Vogel made a save on Robison's attempt at 34:08. In the last two minutes of the half, the Utes fired three shots following a corner kick as Taylor, Harley Spier and Kaycee Buckley all recorded attempts, but Vogel saved the first and the latter two were blocked.

In the second half, Smith took the first shot within the opening minute, but Luke made the save.

Utah fired back in the 51st and 52nd minutes with shots from Taylor and Jenny Hutton, but Taylor's went high and Vogel saved Hutton's. In the 53rd minute, Taylor broke in on Vogel, but the UT goalkeeper came out, took away the angle and smothered the ball, preventing a shot.

In the 56th minute, the Utes broke the scoreless draw with a goal by Robison. Taylor continued her pressure in the offensive end, dropping a pass to Robison on the left side of the 18-yard box and Robison finished by pushing the ball past the outstretched arms of Vogel.

The Utes nearly made it a 2-0 lead seconds later as Buckley hit the crossbar and the ball bounced away. Ashton Hall took two more attempts before the 70th minute as the first went wide and Vogel saved the second.

Neither team recorded another shot until 80:10, when Buckley's attempt was blocked.

In the final nine minutes of the match, Buckley had the last shot, firing at 84:10 with a save by Vogel.