@UNC_BearsSoccer clinches a BSC Tourney spot with a senior day win

Sunday, October 14

Greeley, CO

1 PM

University of Northern Colorado

9-7 (5-2)

Southern Utah

2-13-1 (1-5-1)

Southern Utah

Northern Colorado

Mariel Gutierrez scored an early goal to help the Bears pick up a senior day win.

10/14/2018 4:35:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Ryan Ronan

Senior day is known to bring out the emotions for any team Sunday was no different for UNC soccer.

"It was definitely emotional," said UNC senior Maddie Roberts. "Playing my last game at Jackson Stadium and having played soccer for close to 17 years and to see that coming to an end is emotional, but there's nowhere else I would have rather been today."

One of the best ways to manage a senior day is come out and get an early lead and that's just what Mariel Gutierrez gave the Bears less than five minutes into the match. UNC added a pair of second-half goals and picked up a win over Southern Utah in the final home match of the season, 3-1.

"When you are playing a team who is coming off a tough game getting the first goal is always massive," said UNC head coach Tim Barrera. "It's important to score first in any game, so getting that free kick allowed us to settle down a little bit."

From just outside the 18 UNC drew a foul on the Thunderbirds, which set up Gutierrez with a golden look at the net.

"It's a little out of my normal range, but the wall was pretty far back and the goalkeeper was a little to the left so I figured I take my chance and it went in," said Mariel Gutierrez.

The teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the first half before a flurry of action in the second half. It started with a great pass from Gutierrez, the senior, to a steaking Lexi Pulley, the freshman had no problems knocking some ice off the back of the net, which gave UNC a 2-0 lead.

SUU had a hard time mustering up offense most of the day, but 20 minutes into the final half a corner kick set up Mackenzie Lawrence to score the T-Birds only goal of the match.

UNC wasn't going to allow the visitors to make senior day interesting. The Bears threw a number of shots at Brianna Aldridge and senior Maddie Roberts found herself in the right spot to put a loose rebound past Aldridge to give the Bears a two-goal lead once again.

"Off a corner kick the ball kind of ricocheted off a few people, which allowed Maddie Barkow to get ahead on it and that gave me the opportunity and I just hit it in the back of the net," Roberts said.

The win clinched the Bears a trip to the Big Sky Tournament for the sixth-straight season, meaning seniors Gutierrez, Roberts, Erica Estes, Courtney Elterman and Keelin Coulter will have played in the postseason every year they put on the Blue and Gold.

"It's a tremendous class. Originally it was just the three of them, but there have been some additions along the way. The ones who were here as freshmen were all part of making the NCAA Tournament and the ones last season were all big parts of us making the conference final. Their impact on the program has been very big," Barrera said.

So, the Bears will be headed to Ogden, Utah for the BSC Tourney, but the regular season work is not done yet. UNC will close out the regular season it a road trip to Sacramento and Portland States next weekend.