Taliana Kaufusi Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

After her second hat trick this season, Taliana Kaufusi was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday.
 
After a first minute goal by Idaho State, Kaufusi was quick to level the game for the Utes. In the 11^th minute, senior forward Katie O’Kane sent a long ball over ISU’s back line to Kaufusi, who reached it before the Bengals’ defenders. The Salt Lake City native then shot it past the goalkeeper and into the net.
 
Kaufusi’s second goal came just four minutes later, in the 15^th minute. With help from a through ball from junior defender Ryann Cull, sophomore midfielder Lilliah Blum made it into the 18-yard box and crossed the ball to an unmarked Kaufusi, where the senior striker capitalized for her second score of the match.
 
The Salt Lake Native sealed the hat trick when she outmaneuvered a Bengal defender for the ball near midfield and her pass sent junior forward Kelly Bullock’s shot on goal. The shot was deflected by ISU’s goalkeeper, Kaufusi was there to knock the ball over the line in the 62^nd minute.
 
This bout of goals is Kaufusi’s second-career hat trick, the first was earlier this month in Utah’s match against Weber State on Sept. 1. Reaching a new level of speed, Kaufusi scored all three goals within an 11-minute span.
 
Kaufusi is the first Utah soccer player to three goals in a match multiple times in one year since Jacki Doman in 1996 and the first to complete two hat tricks in one month.
 
The striker has been instrumental in the Utes’ matches this season, assisting O’Kane in the game-winning goal against conference foe, Arizona. Kaufusi has also marked nine goals in the eight matches this season, the most by a Ute since Hailey Skolmoski tallied 13 in 2016. 

Kaufusi and her teammates are preparing to face-off with Texas Tech, the reigning Big 12 champions, on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at John Watkins Soccer Complex.

 

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