The Utes went back out on the road Friday to face Big West Conference favorite Cal State Fullerton and remained unbeaten after a back-and-forth 0-0 draw with the Titans.
With the draw, Utah now has a record of 1-0-2.
“[Cal State Fullerton] is a very good team. I was impressed with the effort.” Utes head coach Rich Manning said. “It was one of those games where sometimes they had the upper hand and sometimes we did. A draw was probably the fair result.”
The draw was not a result of a dull game, as each team had good scoring chances and they seemed to come in bunches.
In the first half, Utah goalkeeper Lindsey Luke had three saves in the first 18 minutes. On offense, Harley Spier, Allie Wisner and Katie Taylor all had looks on goal but could not break the deadlock.
In the second half, it was one big save after another by both Luke and Titans’ goalkeeper Lindsey Maricic as each team tried to get the winning goal. Luke made two saves early in the half that resulted in quick scoring chances for the Utes, but Taylor and Katie Rigby couldn’t find the back of the net for Utah.
Over the final 10 minutes, the Utes had two shots on goal. Avery Ford had a shot go wide and Baylee Nielsen had a shot blocked. On the other end, Luke had to make a save in the 89th minute to push the game into overtime. In the extra sessions, Rigby and Monica Okapal had chances for Utah but both sent their shots high.
In three games, the Utes have yet to surrender a goal, but Friday marked the second game that Utah was unable to find the back of the net. After opening the season with a 2-0 victory over Western Kentucky, the Utes have been a part of two scoreless draws. On Friday they were outshot 14-11.
“Our offense is still a work in progress.” Manning said. “We have played three teams with very good defenses. We have seen areas where we can improve on and we are improving. We have created opportunities but need to do a better job in finishing those chances.”
While the Utah offense is far from a finished product, the defense has led the charge for the team and that was once again the case against Fullerton. Luke recorded her third shutout this season in as many chances and she is anchoring a defense that now boasts a 310-minute scoreless streak.
“Everyone is dedicated and committed to being a good defensive team,” Manning said. “We are getting defensive efforts from all 11 positions. We are winning the ball in different parts of the field and making it hard for other teams to get offensive opportunities.”
The Utes will once again be on the road this Friday, but they will be a little closer to home. They will travel to Provo to face BYU and will look to continue their strong start to the season.