The freshly cut grass on the pitch and the warm early Fall air on Thursday night called for a season-opening soccer game for two programs. The Wolverines of Utah Valley University and the Michigan State Spartans battled it out, and the match ended with MSU coming through victorious by a score of 3-1.
The first-half ended as a scoreless draw with a few shots on goal by both teams. Early into the second-half, the Spartans were the first to get on the board by a goal courtesy of junior midfielder Danielle Stephan. MSU would then tack on two more goals to make it 3-0.
It wasn’t until the 74 minute where UVU netted their only goal of the game from junior midfielder Amber Tripp. With that goal Tripp has already equaled her number of total goals scored in all of the 2018 season.
With this loss the Wolverines have now lost three straight season-openers, all of which have come on the road. Their last season-opening victory came in 2016 at Northern Arizona.
UVU will have a chance to bounce back in the state of Michigan and face another Big Ten foe this Sunday, Aug. 25 as they take on the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. UM was victorious in their season-opener on Thursday beating Marshall 5-0.
Photo courtesy of Rey Del Rio
