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- Weber State University’s Jessie Baddley goes against three Utah State University defenders. WSU lost to USU at Rio Tinto Stadium with a final score of 1-0. They recently played Utah Valley University and won with a final score of 1-0.
The Weber State University Women’s Soccer Team racked up their first win of the season last week, and now heads north to Washington, where they will face the University of Gonzaga on Friday.
Last week, WSU headed south to Orem, where they faced Utah Valley University at Clyde Field. The Wildcats came away with a 1-0 win thanks to a curling shot by senior Jessie Baddley. WSU peppered the Wolverines’ goalie, firing a season-high 24 shots.
The first half of the match was close, with WSU holding a slight edge in shot attempts, 8-6. The team came out firing in the second half and racked up 16 shots, including Baddley’s goal.
Senior goalkeeper Kirsten Anderson was strong in the net for the Wildcats, earning her first career shutout. Anderson made seven saves in the match. She crossed the ball to Baddley, who slotted it into the net for the game-winner.
Head Coach Tim Crompton said he was pleased with the team’s performance against UVU and that he feels the team is improving.
“Our goal is to get better every game,” Crompton said. “I thought tonight we were better than we were on Friday.”
The ’Cats will now turn their focus to the game against Gonzaga, and the rest of their season. Defender Ari Wood said she is looking forward to the rest of the season, and that she feels the team has a lot of potential for this season.
“I expect everyone to step up and play well this season,” Wood said. “We want to bond as a team and play together.”
WSU’s next match will come against GU on Saturday in Spokane, Wash. The Wildcats will have a tough matchup against the Bulldogs, who recently won the Bronco Invite in Boise, Idaho, last week. GU was led by Sarah Rhodes, who scored three goals during the tournament. Crompton said he feels the game will provide a good challenge for his team.
The Wildcats have a tough non-conference schedule this season; they will also face off against the University of Wyoming, University of Utah and the Air Force Academy. Wood said she enjoys the difficult non-conference games.
“I prefer a tough non-conference because I think it best prepares us for our conference play, and I like playing tougher teams because for the most part . . . the better the team, the better soccer they will play,” Wood said.
Last season, WSU struggled and missed the conference playoffs. Wood said that this year the team is hoping to improve its play and have a successful season. She said a lot of what goes into having a winning team starts with the attitude of the players.
“I believe a winning attitude is something that would take our team far and would be the biggest thing we need to improve upon from last season,” Wood said.
Crompton said that the team has high goals for this season and hopes to win the Big Sky Conference.
“Our goal is always to compete for a conference championship; that’s what we train and prepare for,” Crompton said.
He added that the team wants to send the team’s senior players off with a memorable and successful year.
“All of us have something to prove,” Crompton said. “We’ve had two years where they’ve had a lot of near misses and the ball hasn’t bounced their way.”
Following the game against GU, the Wildcats will continue their road trip. WSU won’t return to Ogden until they take on New Mexico State University.
