Tim Castaneda, Sports Writer, @xTIMBOxSLICEx
In the opening round of the WAC tournament, the UVU women’s soccer team beat the University of Texas-Pan American by a score of 2-1 Thursday night in Seattle to advance to the WAC semifinals for the second straight year.
UVU senior Kim Stratford emerged as the hero of the match for the lady Wolverines with her third game-winning goal of the season to end the match in the first overtime period. The goal came in the 96th minute as Stratford received the pass right in front of the goal from teammate Tori Smith and put the ball in the back of the net.
The more experienced UVU squad received a pair of goals from its senior leaders Lexi Robison and Stratford to withstand a tough fight put up by Texas-Pan American. Robison, this year’s WAC defensive player of the year, showed her all-around ability as she scored off the cross inside the box from Sidney Fitzpatrick to give her team a one-goal lead in the 74th minute.
Texas-Pan American responded with the equalizer five minutes later to tie the game at 1-1 to send the game to sudden death overtime. Andreya Barrera scored at the 79 minute mark as she got off a long shot from the left of the box that went past UVU keeper Jessica Duffin into the right side of the goal.
Despite its valiant effort, Texas-Pan American ran out of steam as the UVU defensive unit held the team to zero shots in the overtime period before giving up the deciding goal.
UVU moves on to face University of Missouri-Kansas City tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. MT in a rematch of last year’s WAC semifinals matchup between the two teams.
