Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Brigham Young
Wildcats Downed by BYU in Non-Conference Match
10/28/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
PROVO, Utah -- The Weber State women's soccer team left conference play for an in-state contest on Tuesday, and fell 1-0 to Brigham Young at South Field.
The Cougars controlled play for the majority of the match, out-shooting the Wildcats 24-4 overall and 11-1 in shots on-goal. The offensive pressure put on by BYU generated several good scoring chances for the home side, but the shots were either just off the mark or turned away by solid defensive play by the Wildcats.
Junior goalkeeper Rebecca Ritchie was phenomenal behind the Wildcat defense, recording a season-high matching 10 saves. Ritchie ran her career saves total to 253, passing Kandice Golar and Melanie Stratford into second place on the all-time Weber State list.
In the 40th minute, the Wildcat defense blocked a shot from the Cougars. The ball fell to the feet of Auna Janis, who fired a shot from the top of the box, beating Ritchie to the upper right corner of the net.
In the second half, the Wildcats were able to generate periods of good midfield possession, but WSU was unable to translate that into many scoring chances. The team's best opportunity came late in the match, when Collette Simmons volleyed a strong shot at the Cougar net. The shot went straight at BYU goalkeeper McKinzie Olson, however for her lone save of the match.
The Wildcats dropped to 7-9-2 overall on the season, with a crucial Big Sky match against Idaho State coming on Saturday in the regular season finale. Brigham Young improved to 14-5-0 with the win.
