Brynn Moga’s first career goal on Thursday evening couldn’t have come at a better time, as she propelled the Wildcats to a 1-0 win over Washington in extra time.
In a game that was played pretty evenly between both teams, it was Moga who found a way to put the ball in the back of then net in the 104th minute, securing the win for Arizona.
“It was one of those games where we weren’t at our best. We had to grind it out and the team was doing that,” head coach Tony Amato said.
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From the opening whistle, Washington was not going to allow the Wildcats to get anything easily. The Huskies played a physical game, with their defenders making it difficult for Arizona’s forwards by constantly attacking and pushing the ‘Cats towards the sidelines rather than allowing them to pressure the middle of the field.
On the flip side, Arizona deserves credit for managing to fire off 16 shots, many coming from forward Jada Talley. A number of Talley’s shots either were deflected by Washington goalkeeper Siena Ruelas or ended up being just wide of the net.
“With soccer, you can’t take a second off. If you get into your head, it just messes with your confidence,” Talley said.
In the 104th minute, Talley was able to get the ball to teammate Iliana Hocking, who then crossed it into the box, allowing Moga to finish the play off with the game-winning header.
“It’s such an amazing feeling, especially because we all wanted this win so bad and we really needed it. I’m just happy to contribute to the team wins,” Hocking said.
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In her third year at Arizona, Moga reflected on her first career goal.
“It’s crazy. We were all fighting super hard, and we just had to get it. It sucks that it took that long,” Moga said.
With four games remaining, every point is critical, as the team makes its final push for a spot in the tournament. The Wildcats have one home game remaining before they close out the regular season with three road games.
Arizona is back on the pitch Sunday to host Washington State at noon.
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