The Weber State soccer team rallied hard to come away from Moscow, Idaho with a 3-2 overtime stunner over the Idaho Vandals Friday afternoon.

The game winner was decided in the early part of the second overtime period, when junior defender Shaylee Petersen received a pass from Mackenzie Harrison deep in the Vandals’ side of the field and found the back of the net.

This goal is Petersen’s first goal of the season, and the second of her three-year career.

“We all knew how important this game was going into it, and we all really stepped it up and played well the whole game,” Petersen said. “Scoring the goal in overtime was such a relief after all the hard work and effort we put in as a team. It was a hard-fought team win and I was just lucky enough to be a part of it.”

Scoring in the game started early when Wildcat senior midfielder Mackenzie Peck found the net 18 minutes into the game. Peck beat a defender and fired a long shot from 22 yards out that was out of the reach of Vandals’ goalie in the upper corner of the net.

The Vandals responded before the end of the first half when Kavita Battan made the shot off of a Vandal throw in.

The Wildcats came out into the second half fighting when, after eight minutes of play, Junior defender Marissa Cook won the ball off of the Vandals’ defense. After driving deep on the left side of the field, she crossed it over to Peck, who found the net again. This was Peck’s first two-goal game of the season.

The Wildcats were able to hold on to that lead until the 77th minute when Reagan Quigley caught a rebounded shot on the goal and drove it in through a crowd in the goal.

The score would stand, though the Wildcats were able to make a few good shots on goal that were well-defended by the Vandals, the result of which sent the game into overtime.

The Vandals came out strong in the first round of overtime , but the Wildcat defense responded in fine fashion and kept the pressure on the Vandals for the entire first period of overtime. The pressure continued and carried over into the second half until Petersen netted the game winner in the second period of over time.

Coach Tim Crompton was pleased with the performance of the Wildcats in this game.

“It was a great performance today,” Crompton said. “The girls really stepped up and took one on the road. I couldn’t be happier for them.”

The Wildcats now move to 5-11-0 overall (2-5-0 Big Sky Conference) and will return home to finish the season with a three-game home stand. Their first game is Oct. 24 against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. The match kicks off at 3 p.m. and admission is free for both the student body and the general public.

Charles can be found Tweeting @cbowkstar_91 or acting like a fool at any Wildcat home game.