Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Loyola Marymount
Wildcat soccer falls 3-2 to Loyola Marymount
9/19/2015 12:02:00 AM | Women's Soccer
OGDEN – The Wildcats threw the first punch, but the Lions rallied to claim the round.
Riding a pair of second-half goals from senior midfielder Jocelyn Blankenship, Loyola Marymount rallied from a 2-0 first-half deficit to take a 3-2 win over the Weber State University women's soccer team on Friday afternoon at Wildcat Soccer Field.
Weber State, which finished the non-conference portion of its schedule at 4-4-1, took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when redshirt junior defender Kellyn Ashby scored her first career goal.
With the Wildcats lined up for a corner kick by senior forward Mackenzie Harrison, the kick sailed across the goalmouth and was cleared to midfield by the Lions, where Ashby crushed it back into play, where it slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Sophia Leksan before bouncing into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
“I'm disappointed in the way we played after the first 20 minutes,” Weber State coach Tim Crompton said. “LMU is a good team, nevertheless, we certainly didn't help ourselves as the game went on.
“I realize during a season, you might have these types of games, and today was one of those performances.”
Weber State doubled the advantage in the 43rd minute when junior forward Lana Willard latched on to the end of a free kick from senior defender Brecken Holbrook near the edge of the third, and Willard punched it in just inside the near corner for a 2-0 advantage.
That two-goal lead would last just 15 seconds as LMU's Nikki Martino finished a quick counterstrike off Maddie Medved's assist to make it 2-1 heading into the break.
With shots at a premium in the second half, Blankenship drew the match even in the 57th minute, curling a free kick from 20 yards out nearly on the end line to level things at 2-2, and then produced the goal-ahead goal in the 63rd minute, hammering a clearance from just outside the box to put the Lions in the lead.
Loyola Marymount improved to 6-2-0 with the win, the Lions sixth straight since starting the season 0-2.
Weber State will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 25, for its Big Sky Conference opener against Eastern Washington. Kickoff against the Eagles is set for 3 p.m. at Wildcat Soccer Field.
