By Spencer Rodak , Stadium Sportzz
GEORGE – Two rivals battled on the pitch at Greater Zion Stadium with a lot on the line Sunday night.
The Trailblazers were celebrating the final home game for seven seniors. Southern Utah needed a win to clinch the final WAC Tournament place.
When the final whistle blew, Utah Tech celebrated an 8-1 victory, while the Thunderbirds’ season came to an end.
It didn’t take long for the Trailblazers to get in front, as senior Lacy Fox finished a brilliant solo effort to make it 1-0 in the fourth minute.
The T-birds would register their first shot on target in the seventh minute, as Whitney Gardner forced Brianna Frey to make a stop.
Just under three minutes later, SUU evened up the score with a long-range blast off the foot of Avery Kyle in the tenth minute.
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Following the T-birds’ answer, Utah Tech recorded seven shots in the next 15 minutes, and they would finally take the lead back in the 30th minute, thanks to recently checked-in substitute Ella Rusick.
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The Trailblazers would keep up the pressure after regaining the lead, as Kyah Le made it 3-1 in the 34th minute off a Bre Koscielski assist.
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Southern Utah would almost immediately respond, forcing a Frey save just ten seconds later.
In the 36th minute, the T-birds drew a penalty, and Aubrie Labno stepped up to take it. Frey would make the diving stop to her left to keep the visitors from cutting into the Utah Tech lead.
A mere 90 seconds later, the Trailblazers would add a fourth, as Rusick set up Lataya Brost, who slotted one past Jazmyn Brass for the 4-1 lead that would hold until the break.
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Second half
Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, the Trailblazer onslaught continued in the second half.
Jocelyn Wright added a team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 52nd minute to make it 5-1, while Lataya Brost added her second goal of the match just over two minutes later for Utah Tech’s sixth goal.
The Trailblazers made it 7-1 at the hour mark as Lexi Nelson found the back of the net before Brost secured a hat trick to make it 8-1 just 30 seconds later.
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Both teams had chances to add more goals in the final half hour, but the scoreline would remain as Utah Tech secured the season sweep of SUU.
In a match with plenty of action, the Trailblazers outshot the T-birds 28-16, while winning the shots on goal battle 17-8.
Lataya Brost recorded three goals and an assist in the win for Utah Tech, while Lacy Fox and Ella Rusick each added a goal and an assist.
Brianna Frey notched seven saves in goal for the Trailblazers to extend her all-time program record.
Avery Kyle scored Southern Utah’s lone goal with an assist from Whitney Gardner.
With the win, Utah Tech improves to 8-7-4 (4-4-2 WAC) to close out the regular season. They also improved to 5-0-2 all-time against the Thunderbirds and have yet to lose a match in the rivalry series.
Southern Utah ends the season 3-12-3 overall and 2-7-1 in WAC action.
Goals galore
Scoring eight goals in the victory, the Trailblazers set a new season-high for goals in a match, blowing by the previous number of three.
The eight scores are also the new program single-match record for the Division I era.
Senior sendoff
The match was the final one at home for seven Utah Tech seniors, as they were honored before kickoff.
Goalkeeper Brianna Frey, defender Indie Winterton, midfielder Kyah Le, and forwards Tessa Thornton, Lox Neves, Kearney Hoggan, and Lacy Fox all made their final appearance at Greater Zion Stadium in the rivalry victory.
The match was also the final one for ten seniors from Southern Utah.
Those players are: goalkeeper Jazmyn Brass, midfielders Addison Larsen, Aubrie Labno, and Reagan Doty, defenders Aubrey Murray and Tanah Huffines, and forwards Avery Kyle, Sarah Assumma, Lucia Rivas, and Whitney Gardner.
Up next: Utah Tech
The third-seeded Trailblazers (8-7-4, 4-4-2 WAC) travel to Orem to face No. 2 Cal Baptist in the WAC Women’s Soccer Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
The match will kick off at 3 p.m. MT and can be seen on ESPN+.