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Heartbreak ensues as Wildcats lose thriller in overtime

Senior midfielder Ryley Hansen goes up for the ball in Friday's tie against Northern Arizona. With the loss to the Thunderbirds on Sunday, the Wildcats were eliminated from playoff contention.  (Ariana Berkemeier / The Signpost)
Senior midfielder Ryley Hansen goes up for the ball in Friday’s tie against Northern Arizona. With the loss to the Thunderbirds on Sunday, the Wildcats were eliminated from playoff contention.
(Ariana Berkemeier / The Signpost)

Heartbreak and misfortune continued for the Weber State soccer team as they lost a close match to Southern Utah 2-1 in overtime on Sunday.

This loss not only came from the Wildcats’ in-state rival in the Big Sky conference, but it also eliminated the Wildcats from all post-season competition.

“Sometimes life is a series of unfortunate events,” said senior midfielder Ryley Hansen. “And for us, that is this season.”

Hansen was one of the few players healthy enough to play on Sunday, with a total of 13 players seeing playing time.

¨The constant losses we have suffered are definitely disheartening,¨ said WSU coach Tim Crompton. ¨Yet despite the lack of substitutions, we still have been giving each team a run for their money, and that speaks volumes on both us and the league as a whole.”

The game began at noon under blustery conditions, and both sides were chilly up until the 28th minute when the Thunderbirds struck first. Logan Harker of Southern Utah made a high unassisted shot that soared right past the gloves of junior goalkeeper Danielle MacKay and found its way to the back of the net.

The pressure ensued for the remainder of the first half, with several Wildcat players making shots on frame, and one near goal by junior forward Stacy Bair that was saved at the last minute by Thunderbird goalkeeper Taylor Bolding.

The Wildcats kept the pressure up at the beginning of the second half and were rewarded for their efforts with an equalizer early in the second half.

At 49 minutes into the game, the Wildcats made a press on the left side of the field when red-shirt freshman Alexa MacGoldrick played the ball to Mackenzie Harrison at the top of the goal box. Harrison then tapped the ball through the Thunderbird defense to junior forward Stacy Bair, who netted the ball. This play was Bair’s fifth of the season.

The chilliness continued for the rest of the half, with both teams again having several good shots on frame, one of which just bounced off of the Thunderbird goal post during a Wildcat attack. Despite wonderful play from both sides, the end of regulation resulted in a tie and progression into overtime.

The back and forth pressure continued for the majority of the first overtime period until an error from the Wildcat defense led to an opening for the Thunderbird attack which led to the game ending goal from Logan Harker after seven minutes of overtime.

Coach Crompton was reflective after the game over the result of the Wildcats effort.

“Anyone who watched this game would quickly realize that despite the score, this was a really close game,” Crompton said. “Even on defeat, we have proven to be a team that is fun to watch. There really is never a calm moment when the Wildcats take the field.”

The Wildcats moved to 5-12-1 on the season (2-6-1 Big Sky) and will remain at home to close out their season against the Idaho State Bengals. The game is this Friday at 3 p.m. at the soccer field. Admission is free to both the general public and the student body.

Charles can be found tweeting @cbowkstar_91 or acting like a fool at any Wildcat sporting event.

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