The Weber State women’s soccer team scored a late penalty kick in regulation to earn a 1-1 tie against the visiting Sacramento State Hornets the night of Sept. 27.
With the game winding down and the Wildcats trailing 1-0, Sacramento State defender Aubrey Goodwill committed a foul in the penalty box in the 87th minute. This resulted in a penalty kick for Wildcat junior midfielder Jasmine Lotey, which sailed past Sac State’s goalie to even the score at 1-1.
Lotey maintained her composure while facing the high-pressure challenge of a penalty kick late in the game.
“In my head, I was thinking, ‘This is it. This is my chance to score,’” Lotey said. “It was our way to get back in the game.”
The first score of the game came in the 22nd minute after the Hornets drove down the left side of the field and buried a shot past WSU’s senior goalkeeper Nikki Pittman.
Weber State found themselves in striking distance to knot the score up at 1-1 in the 24th minute as sophomore midfielder Olivia Barton went for a header, but her shot sailed just right of the net.
Overall, the ‘Cats’ had more shots on goal than the Hornets by a 10 to 4 ratio.
Adversity struck early for WSU when Wildcat junior forward Mylee Broad was shown a red card during the sixth minute of the first overtime, reducing the Wildcats to 10 players on the field.
The second overtime arrived with rain, which impacted the game as neither team could get a shot off before the final buzzer rang. The battle between the Hornets and Wildcats ended in a hard-fought, 1-1 tie.
Interim head coach Meagan Thunell praised her team’s drive and effort, as they never settled despite trailing.
“We were not playing to tie. Even after the red card, we weren’t playing to tie. We wanted to win this game,” Thunell said.
The Wildcats entered their first conference match on a three-game losing streak while the Hornets, owners of the Big Sky’s best overall record, came in with a three-game winning streak.
The Wildcats’ weekend was not over yet as they battled with the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 29 at the Ogden Community Sports Complex. The game was moved from the ‘Cats’ home field due to poor field conditions caused by the weekend’s rain. However, the Wildcats won despite the loss of the home field advantage.
Weber State came away with a 1-0 win over the Vikes, the lone goal coming from sophomore midfielder Taylor Scadlock who was assisted by fellow sophomore midfielder Nixie Hernandez in the 18th minute.
Goalie Nikki Pittman was tested by the PSU who had eight shots on goal but Pittman refused to allow the equalizer, which guided The ‘Cats’ to a victory and helped them finish the weekend without a loss.
Next up: The Wildcats will travel Missoula, Montana, to battle with the Grizzlies on October 4.
Next home game: Weber State will battle the Idaho Vandals on Oct. 11.
