On Sept. 12, Weber State University’s women’s soccer team ran onto Dacotah field and took their first win of the season against North Dakota State University with a score of 4–2.
“I think it’s a good thing, not in terms of wins but it helps our team with the young players adapt to see what is required,” head coach Craig Sanders said.
Both Sayler Schlosser and Amanda Caswell took the team’s reins and led Weber to Victory. Schlosser started the game off in the right direction by scoring twice in the span of six minutes to give the Wildcats a 2–0 cushion. Weber displayed dominance in the first half, recording six shots to North Dakota’s zero.
The second half was a different story. The NDSU halftime pep talk worked as they were able to pump the brakes on Weber, trying to cruise to their first win of the season. Bison Devon Kavanagh single-handedly took the game back after scoring on a corner kick to put North Dakota on the board. Seconds later, Kavanagh tied the game as she struck from 25 yards to level the game at 2–2.
Weber State midfielder Amanda Caswell put the team on her back and got a second-half brace to bring the final score 4–2. Goalkeeper Annika Franz recorded three saves throughout the game to preserve the lead and the Wildcats took their first victory of the season.
“We needed the win,” Sanders said. “We were up 2, and they equalized in a short period of time. We made mistakes, but the nice thing is we turned it right around.”
After being on the road for the last two games, Weber State faced off against the Utah State University Aggies at home on Sept. 17. Heading into the game, Utah State was ranked No. 9 in the nation and is currently undefeated.
To start the game, the Aggies scored early off a deflection from Weber State defender Bella Sackett. The Wildcats began to get a groove, maintaining possession of the ball and forcing Utah State to play off their momentum. Star forward Ali Swensen then answered the call and scored with a right-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box at the 40-minute mark. The first half ended in a 1–1 draw.
Halftime came around the corner, and Weber took the lead with a left-footed shot by Lily Blum. However, Utah State showed its horns by scoring two goals in two minutes to retake the lead and all the momentum with them.
The Aggies scored once more to put an end to the idea of an upset and won the game 4–2.
“I have always maintained that preseason is a good test for us, and we want to see what we’ve got,” Sanders said.
The Wildcats were toe to toe with one of the best teams in the nation, showing that there is something to build on for conference play.
Weber played a great game, finishing with seven total shots with two of them on target. The Wildcats showed creativity with passing and maintaining the majority of the possession against the 9th best team in the nation.
The women’s soccer team will be traveling to Orem, Utah to face off against Utah Valley University on Sept. 19. The Wildcats will return to the Wildcat soccer field to face off against the University of Wyoming Cowgirls on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m.
