Leonti's Late Goal Gives Highlanders 3-2 Win, Program Win Mark

Sunday, October 24

Riverside, CA

UC Riverside

Utah State

Leonti's Late Goal Gives Highlanders 3-2 Win, Program Win Mark

10/24/2004 4:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

UC Riverside 3, Utah State 2 - Box Score

Riverside—The UCR women’s soccer team celebrated Senior Day with a last-gasp 3-2 victory over visiting Utah State Sunday at the UCR Soccer Stadium. Junior midfielder Renee Scachetti (Torrance, CA/Bishop Montgomery HS) netted the first two goals and freshman forward Jenna Leonti (Corona, CA/Santiago HS) scored with 2:07 left to give the Highlanders their school-record twelfth win of the year.

It was a game of two very different halves as neither team scored in the first half and then combined for five second half goals. In the first half, the Highlanders outshot the Aggies 7-0 but could not capitalize on their chances. Freshman forward Kacie McElrath (Palm Desert, CA/Horizon HS) came closest but her one-on-one with Utah State goalkeeper Kelli Allred was saved.

After not attempting a shot in the first period, the Aggies (6-9-1, 3-3-1 Big West) scored on their first shot in the second half. At 46:40, Nicole Gooch sent a free kick into the area where Chanel Blaquiere took advantage of a loose ball to give Utah State an unlikely 1-0 lead.

Riverside hit back five minutes later through Scachetti. Senior midfielder Kelly Hurley (Arcadia, CA/Arcadia HS) started the move, sending a pass out wide to junior forward Vanessa Chanez (Placentia, CA/El Dorado HS). Chanez’s cross from the left found Scachetti at the back post to draw UCR level. It was her seventh goal of the year, tying a career high. But Scachetti had more in store.

The Highlanders took the lead at 65:55 through quick reactions. On a free kick from 30 yards out, senior defender Kristi Tanaka’s (Torrance, CA/West Torrance HS) screaming shot rebounded off Allred and directly to Scachetti. Scachetti did little more than tap it in to give UCR a 2-1 advantage. Scachetti's eight goal of the year set a new school record for goals in a single season, a mark she would hold all by herself for 22 minutes.

Utah State would not lie down, however, and struck again with eleven minutes left. Michelle Haws carried the ball for 20 yards before crossing into the box, where Abbey Hunt headed the equalizer.

With both teams looking for a third goal, a bizarre sequence of events set up Leonti’s dramatic game-winner. Scachetti and Allred collided in the penalty area on a cross and play was stopped to tend to both players. The game was restarted with a drop-ball in the middle of the field and UCR sophomore midfielder Kelly Ferguson (Irvine, CA/Irvine HS) came away with it. Her run down the left opened up space in the middle and she laid a perfect pass back to an on-rushing Leonti, whose left-footed finish found the back of the net. The goal was Leonti's eighth of the year, tying Scachetti for the school record.

Several other UCR records fell in the win. In addition to the team gaining its twelfth victory and Leonti and Scachetti's scoring prowess, Scachetti also broke the mark for most points in a season with 20. Sophomore goalie Tawny Poggio (Santa Ana, CA/Mater Dei HS) also extended her record for most goalie wins with her twelfth.

UCR (12-2-3, 2-2-3) kept alive its hopes to make the Big West Tournament. The Highlanders end the regular season on the road with a Friday night game at UC Irvine and a 2 p.m. match at Long Beach State Sunday.