Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Idaho
Wildcat soccer wins 2OT thriller at Idaho
10/18/2014 4:29:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MOSCOW, Idaho – In her role as a defender, clear-cut offensive opportunities don't come around that often for Shaylee Petersen.
With the Wildcats deep in double overtime on Friday afternoon, she didn't hesitate.
Taking a short ball from junior forward Mackenzie Harrison on the right side of the field, Petersen deftly sidestepped a defender, driving deep into the box and unleashing a right-to-left grounder that edged just inside the far post, lifting the Weber State University women's soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 double-overtime win over Big Sky Conference newcomer Idaho at Guy Wicks Field.
The goal was Petersen's first of the season, and the second of her three-year career with the Purple and White.
“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.”
Senior midfielder Mackenzie Peck tallied her first career brace in the match, as she put Weber State ahead 1-0 after beating the defender to the ball and blasting a rocket from 22 yards out that screamed into the upper corner of the goal in the 18th minute.
Idaho's Kavita Battan equalized the match for the Vandals in the 40th minute, and that would do it for the first-half scoring as the two teams went into the break deadlocked at 1-1.
The Wildcats wasted no time regaining the lead in the second half as junior defender Marissa Cook won the ball away from an Idaho defender, driving deep into the left corner and dishing it off to Peck, who knocked it into the goal in the 53rd minute to put Weber State up 2-1.
The lead would stand until Idaho's Reagan Quigley scored after catching the rebound of her own shot off the post and pushing it through a crowd in the 77th minute to make it 2-2.
Weber State continued to press for the winner until the final whistle, just missing out on several superb build-ups.
“It was a great performance today,” Weber State coach Tim Crompton said. “The girls really stepped up and took one on the road. I couldn't be happier for them.”
In the first overtime Idaho started gaining some offensive momentum, but the Wildcat defense repelled the danger to set the stage for Petersen's overtime heroics.
Weber State (2-5-0 Big Sky, 5-11-0 overall) will return to action on Friday when it hosts Northern Arizona at Wildcat Soccer Field to kick off a three-match homestand. Kickoff for the match is set for 3 p.m.
