Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Wyoming
Wildcats rally from two-goal deficit for road win
9/14/2013 2:46:00 AM | Women's Soccer
LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Wildcats dug themselves an early hole, fortunately they still had plenty of time to climb out of it.
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Harrison scored with less than three minutes remaining to lift the Weber State University women's soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind win over Wyoming on Friday evening at UW's Indoor Practice Facility.
It was the second goal of the match for Harrison, and came courtesy of an assist from sophomore central midfielder Chansi Crompton.
“We didn't start the game out as well as we would have liked and we went down 2-0,” Harrison said. “Then we started to figure out the field, and I took a shot from about 35 yards out that made it 2-1. It was a good win and everyone played well.”
Playing a match indoors for the first time in the program's 18-year NCAA history, the Wildcats fell behind in the fifth minute when Wyoming's Mollee Ramsay scored a header off a corner to put the Cowgirls in front 1-0.
Things got worse just eight minutes later when Lucie McDowell scored during a scramble in front of the goal to make it 2-0, marking the first time this season the Wildcats have allowed more than one score in a match.
“I was proud of the patience the girls showed and their ability to stick with the system after we went down early,” Weber State coach Tim Crompton said. “It was an uphill battle with the size of the field, however the girls adjusted and really knocked the ball around after the first 20 minutes.”
As the clock ticked toward the 20th minute, Weber State started to find its footing on the speedy artificial surface.
Harrison hit a blistering shot from 35 yards out that found the back of the net, cutting the deficit in half and switching the momentum in the Wildcats' favor.
“I thought we played really well after the first 20 minutes,” said Chansi Crompton, whose assist was her third of the season. “In the second half, we dominated possession and finished the game strong.”
Wyoming (3-2-1) took a 2-1 lead into the break, but after halftime it was Weber State's time to shine.
The Wildcats (3-1-2) outshot the Cowgirls 9-5 in the second half, keeping up the pressure until sophomore central defender Brecken Holbrook found space in the middle and latched onto a pass from junior midfielder Abbey Kennedy, hitting a shot with her first touch into the left side of the goal to level the scoreline at 2-2 in the 80th minute.
“I saw Abbey take it up the end line and the middle opened, so I went for it and Abbey played me a perfect pass,” Holbrook said. “I hit it with my first tough into the left side of the goal.”
It is the second time this season Weber State has rallied for a road victory after not scoring a comeback win since the 2009 season prior to a 2-1 overtime victory at Utah Valley on Aug. 29.
The Wildcats will return to action on Sunday afternoon when they take the short trip down to Salt Lake City to take on in-state rival Utah. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ute Field.
