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- Weber State University’s Felicia Sortor kicks the ball against a Utah State University defender on Aug. 19. WSU lost to both Gonzaga University and Washington State University last week.
The Weber State University Women’s Soccer Team’s losing streak continued over the weekend, when they lost 1-0 to Gonzaga University and 3-1 to Washington State University.
The Wildcats went down early to GU, and were unable to recover after Emma Dolcetti scored the only goal in the fourth minute of the match for the Bulldogs. Dolcetti received the ball in the middle of the pitch from a cross and trickled it past WSU goalie Kristen Anderson.
Bailey Eames said that the team started out slow in the game against GU, and wasn’t able to find the back of the net to equalize the score.
“We started out a little slow but definitely picked it up after a few minutes,” Eames said. “We had multiple opportunities to goal and dominated the second half; we just couldn’t quite finish.”
WSU was unable to recover following the early goal. GU continued to pressure the Wildcats. Despite letting in an early goal, Anderson had the highlight of the match for WSU. A minute into the match, she made a diving save, moving to her right and blocking a shot that was headed for the corner of the goal.
In the second half, Ryann Waldman came on to replace Anderson. She was able to keep a clean sheet for the rest of the match, but the Wildcats were unable to level the score. Waldman said that, despite the loss, the team played well.
“The first half, we started off a little slow and came out on our heels some, but by the end of the first half, we were completely in control and were playing our game … if you look at the overall play of the game, I’d say we accomplished a lot as a team,” Waldman said.
The Wildcats finished with nine shots, including three by freshman Mackenzie Day. The Wildcats placed four on frame. GU had 14 shots, but just six of those were on shots on goal.
Following the game against GU, the Wildcats headed to Pullman, Wash., where they faced off against the WSU Cougars. Once again, WSU got off to a rough start and was unable to recover. The Cougars scored three times in the opening 7:46, including a goal after just 36 seconds, which led to a 3-1 victory over WSU on Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats’ Kierstin Raught pulled one back in the 65th minute, chipping through a ball from Jessie Baddley from just inside the 18 that deflected off the Cougars’ goalkeeper.
The Wildcats finished with a season-low five shots against the Cougars’ defense, while the Cougars tallied 20 attempts.
WSU will continue their road trip when they face the Air Force Academy in Colorado this Friday.
Eames said that the hard non-conference schedule will help prepare the team for its Big Sky Conference schedule.
“We play some more challenging teams, so I expect us to get better every game,” Eames said. “That way, when it comes time for conference games, we will be well prepared to win.”
Following the game against AFA, the Wildcats will travel to Wyoming and face the University of Wyoming. Then, they will return to Utah, where they will face the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Sept. 16. The next home game for WSU will be held on Sept. 18, when they will take on New Mexico State University at the P.E. playfield.
