The Tacoma Tide’s trip to Utah was welcomed by triple digits on the thermostat. Signs read as high as 103 degrees fahrenheit Friday as the Tide prepared to play against the BYU Cougars. With the temperature in mind, as well as an enormous BYU soccer field, the key to Friday night’s game between the two top teams of the Northwest Division was possession. The winning team would be the squad to retain possession and control the pace of the game... BYU dominated possession.

BYU out shot the Tide 12 - 5. They also out scored the Tide 6 goals to none. The tough evening began in the 5th minute. A run down the left by Justin Norton stretched the Tacoma defense and opened up space for a ball to slip behind everyone except Tyson Miller. The Tide almost answered the call in the 21st minute when John Fishbaugher slipped in Rory Agu. Agu did well to fight off two defenders until Ciaran O’Brien could push up in support. O’Brien used a few touches to evade a defender and set up a left footed shot that ripped off the far post. Things could have changed with a few inches on the O’Brien shot, however, they didn’t. The first half ended 1-0 with the Tide still very much in contention.

The second half brought shade on the BYU field, and what appeared to be some relief for Tacoma. Where the sun left off, BYU filled in. BYU forced a number of early second half saves from Jordan Jennings. The best save coming in the 55th minute after a cross lead to a one on one with Cougar forward Steven Fellows. Jordan made the save and even though the flow of the game was in favor of the home side, Tacoma was not out. The same cannot be said in the 62nd minute. A deflected ball snuck through most of the Tacoma back line. Steve Mohn, the last defender slid to clear. Mohn’s contact with the ball was true, unfortunately for the Yellows, it went right into a sprinting Zack DeFrancis. Upper corner for goal number 2 for BYU, and Jennings didn’t even have a chance to move. Insult to injury came in the 74th, 80th, 83rd, and 2 minutes into extra time to inflate the score line.

After the result, BYU and Tacoma are tied on points at the top of the division. BYU has played 7 games, to 8 for Tacoma. The top each play tomorrow night. BYU, against Abbotsford at home. Tacoma drives north to Ogden to play at 7:00pm against the Outlaws.

 Starters: Tacoma- Jennings, Hoss, Grey, Lee, Mohn, Fishbaugher, O’Brien, Orozco, Knapp, Schomaker, Agu

                 BYU - Gilliam, Graham, VanWagenen, Norton, Miller, Gilliam, Trejo, Bindrup, Clark, VanWagenen, Fellows