Sept. 18, 2005
FULLERTON, CA -
EDITOR'S NOTE: Cal State Fullerton was later named team champion after Arizona's 1-1 tie with New Mexico. Kandace Wilson was named the tournament's Most Valuable Offensive Player while Marlene Sandoval was named the tournament's Most Valuable Defensive Player.
Cal State Fullerton senior forward Kandace Wilson scored twice and assisted on another goal as the Titans tallied four second-half strikes en route to a 4-0 upset of No. 25 Utah on Sunday morning at the Four Points University Plaza Arizona Soccer Classic in Tucson, Ariz.
Fullerton improved to 6-2 overall on the season and posted a 2-0 record in the tournament after defeating a ranked opponent for the first time since upending No. 13 Clemson, 1-0, almost two years ago to the day on Sept. 19, 2003.
The Titans also improved to 4-0 on the season against first-time opponents (Auburn, South Carolina, Gonzaga, and Utah), outscoring those schools by a 10-3 margin.
Utah, which was unbeaten on the season until losing to No. 22 Arizona on Friday night in overtime, fell to 6-2 overall.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the first half despite the Titans' 9-2 shot advantage. However, things did not remain quiet for long as the Fullerton offense opened the floodgates after the break, outshooting Utah by a 19-5 margin.
Sophomore Stacey Thompson got the Titans on the board first in the 67th minute, netting her third goal of the season off a corner kick for the 1-0 lead. Junior captain Lauryn Welch made it 2-0 in the 76th minute, tallying her first goal of the season off Wilson's third assist of the year.
Wilson, who finished with a match-high eight shots on the day, then put the match away, scoring three minutes later in the 79th minute off a pass from Desiree Flint, and netting her third goal of the year, this one of the unassisted variety, in the 84th minute for the final score.
Junior goalkeeper Karen Bardsley made three saves for the Titans in notching her second shutout of the tournament and third overall in 2005. Utah keeper Ashley Mason made nine saves in just over 82 minutes of work.
With almost a week off, the Titans will look to continue their roll next Sunday (Sept. 25) as Fullerton concludes its seven-match road swing with a 1 p.m. kickoff against Loyola Marymount at Sullivan Field.