• BOXSCORE (pdf)
 
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Delayed officials. A lightning strike. And an attack that produced plenty of chances but was unable to find the back of the goal.
 
Not what the Seattle Pacific Falcons had in mind for their season-opening women's soccer game.
 
Laurelle Theodore scored late in the first half, just 80 seconds after the resumption of play following a stoppage due to lightning, and Rogers State hung on to beat SPU in a non-conference contest at Trailblazer Stadium, 1-0.
 
Seattle Pacific (0-1-0) had a 16-5 advantage in shots, with nine of those directly on frame compared to just three on-target attempts by the Hillcats of Claremore, Oklahoma.
 
But the only ball that went in was Theodore's try at the 41:22 mark.
 
The first-ever game between the two teams was delayed nearly 90 minutes from its scheduled 4:00 p.m. Pacific time start because the officials were not yet at the stadium on Dixie State University's campus.
 
Once it got going, the Falcons had the advantage, firing six shots (four on goal) through the first 40 minutes before lightning forced a 51-minute delay with 4:58 to go in the first half.
 
"Five and a half hours long from when we showed up to when we got out of there," said SPU coach Arby Busey. "It's part of the deal. You have to control what you can control, but there were a lot of things out of our control today."

 

Coming out of that stoppage, Rogers State got off its first shot – which happened to be Theodore's, a chip from 10 yards straight in front that beat goalkeeper Riley Travis.
 
"They had a girl kind of sneak through behind us and Riley came out to get it," Busey described. "It was bouncing and she just lobbed it over Riley, doing a good job of finishing it.
 
"Riley made an aggressive play. I'd rather have her do that that sit back and let their forward force the issue. The girl made a play, you tip your cap and move on."
 
The Falcons played a frenetic second half, out-shooting Rogers 10-4. Half of those attempts were directly on target, inducing saves from goalkeeper RaVella Fisher.
 
The Hillcats goalkeeper was credited with nine saves and SPU's Riley made her two stops after halftime.
 
"We were amazing in the second half. The response to conceding a goal in the way that we did and how we came out in the second half is a testament to our team," said Busey.
 
The Falcons finest attempts came in the waning moments of the game. Claire Neder launched a left-footed shot that nearly spun under the crossbar in the 79th minute, but Fisher managed to tip it away for a corner kick.
 
Six minutes later Fisher performed her best save of the day, off a shot from SPU's Sophia Chilczuk.
 
"Sophia hit one and their goalkeeper hung onto it," Busey said. "The kid was going one direction, Sophia hit it the other way and somehow she reached her hand back behind her, against her momentum, and was able to corral it.
 
"Their goalkeeper was good in the second half, there's no doubt about it."
 
The final try of the game, with 2-minutes, 18-seconds showing on the clock, came off the foot of freshman Chloe Gellhaus and sailed high.
 
It was the first season-opening loss for Seattle Pacific since 2013, coming six years to the day after UC San Diego won 2-1 in La Jolla, California, on Sept. 5 of that year.
 
The Falcons had four first-time starters on the field. Among that group was Gellhaus in the midfield, the only freshman in the starting 11.
 
Also drawing their inaugural collegiate starting assignments were sophomores Mariah Alexander and Ava Giovanola along with junior Sierra Smith.
 
SPU remains in Utah to take on Dixie State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. It has won all four previous meetings versus the Trailblazers, but none of them were contested in St. George.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Trailblazer Stadium / St. George, Utah
 
Rogers State 1, Seattle Pacific 0
 
Scoring – 1, RSU, Laurelle Theodore (Kori Watters), 41:22.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Rogers State           1   0  --    1
Seattle Pacific        0   0  --    0
 
Shots – RSU 5, SPU 16.
Saves – RSU 9 (ReVella Fisher), SPU 2 (Riley Travis).
Corner Kicks – RSU 2, SPU 4.
Fouls – RSU 9, SPU 6.
Offsides – RSU 1, SPU 4.
 
Records
Rogers State 1-0-0
Seattle Pacific 0-1-0
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Seattle Pacific at Dixie State
Saturday, Sept. 7, 11:30 a.m. PDT
Trailblazer Stadium / St. George, Utah