No. 20 Utah State soccer advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament title game after winning a penalty kick thriller over Gonzaga on Wednesday evening at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The Aggies secured a 6-5 shootout victory following 110 scoreless minutes of play.
Utah State faced significant adversity during the match when junior defender Kaeda Wilson was sent off with a red card in the 81st minute for a foul in front of the Gonzaga goal. Despite playing with 10 players for the remainder of regulation and both overtime periods, the Aggies maintained control, out-shooting Gonzaga 27-9 overall. Gonzaga recorded only one shot on goal during the match, which occurred in the 105th minute.
In the penalty kick shootout, sophomore goalkeeper Ivy Nystrom recorded a diving save during the sixth round. After the first five takers from both teams were successful, sophomore defender Victoria Espinoza, who had not played during the match, scored the game-winning penalty kick following a wide miss by Gonzaga.
The victory marks a successful revenge for the Aggies against the only team they lost to during Pac-12 play. Sophomore midfielder Mia Lopez and sophomore forward Kunie Hirai each recorded four shots after entering the game as substitutes. Nystrom earned her 12th clean sheet of the season, setting a Utah State record for goalkeeper shutouts in a single season.
The win allows Utah State to compete for their fourth consecutive conference tournament title in the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament. For the third consecutive year, the Aggies will face Boise State in the championship match.
Utah State is scheduled to face 2-seed Boise State in the Pac-12 Tournament title match on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The match is scheduled for a 5:30 kickoff and will be streamed on the Pac-12 YouTube page.
