No. 20 Utah State defeated Gonzaga on penalties after a scoreless draw in the inaugural Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals on Wednesday night, BVMSports.com reported.
The Aggies and Bulldogs played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer at Chick and Gloria Bell Soccer Field in Logan, forcing a penalty shootout before a crowd of 1,216 people, according to Pac-12.com. Both teams converted their first five penalty attempts to extend the drama into sudden death.
Utah State goalkeeper Ivy Nystrom scored off the crossbar to keep the Aggies alive. After both teams missed their sixth attempts—including a save by Nystrom and a shot off the post by Gonzaga—Victoria Espinoza buried the final kick to secure a 6-5 shootout victory.
The win came despite Utah State playing the final 30 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods with 10 players, BVMSports.com noted, following an 81st-minute red card issued to Kaeda Wilson. Nystrom recorded her 12th shutout of the season, a school single-season record.
Utah State will host second-seeded Boise State in the championship final on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 5:30 p.m. MT. The Broncos advanced earlier on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory against San Diego State, powered by a 49th-minute goal from Cindy Conner and a 61st-minute header by Madie Donovan off a corner kick by Jillian Anderson.
Boise State goalkeeper Ava de Leest recorded her 12th shutout of the season, recording nine saves in the win. Saturday’s winner claims the conference crown and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The two teams shared the regular-season title after Utah State previously defeated Boise State 1-0 in Boise on Oct. 11 behind a penalty-spot goal from Rachel Reitz. Saturday’s championship match will stream live on the Pac-12’s YouTube channel.
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