Nov. 6, 2003

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - UNLV turned in a tremendous defensive effort but fell just short of reaching the Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer championship match, as top-seeded and 17th-ranked Utah advanced on a tiebreaking shootout 6-5 after the game ended in a double-overtime 0-0 tie in the second semifinal of the day on Thursday afternoon from Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The host Utes (15-2-1) will play in their first-ever championship game against BYU, while the Rebels saw their season end at 9-9-3.

The contest was a complete turnaround from the Rebels' game against Utah during the regular season, in which the Utes posted a 5-1 victory in Las Vegas on Oct. 16. Utah outshot UNLV 16-0 during regulation, but couldn't get past UNLV goalie Jenna Huff, who did not play during the earlier meeting. Huff, a second-team all-conference selection, would finish the game with eight saves in goal, as well as her extending her school season shutout record to seven, and extending the team shutout record to nine.

UNLV pushed up its attack in the overtime periods, getting off two shots in each of the two 10-minute periods, but neither team could manage a goal, sending the contest into the penalty kick shootout. Both teams received a mandatory five kicks, and each had three players score to remain tied at 3-3. The shootout then moved to have each team kick alternately until one had a one goal advantage. The game was finally decided on the ninth penalty kick for each team, as Utah's Tracy Stratton sent her shot past Huff's hands, while Rebel defender Tania Lee's shot curved just to the left of the goal, giving the Utes a 6-5 advantage and sending them to the championship game.