Aggies win OT thriller aginst rival
A 12-yard shot by Utah State junior midfielder Dana Peart sailed over the head of Weber State goalkeeper Rebecca Ritchie and into the net to beat the Wildcats 1-0 in double overtime.
Going into the game, the overall series between the two teams was tied at five wins apiece. Last year the Aggies fell to the Wildcats 0-1 at Weber State. This game was not only to redeem last year’s fall, this game was for all the marbles.
“It’s a pride thing,” head coach Heather Cairns said. “Just to know that we’ve been playing them every year, just to know that we went ahead in the series six-five-one, it feels pretty good. It’s a pride thing. Even if it’s your best friend in a different uniform, it’s your best friend but you want to be better than your best friend. You could tell there were battles on the field taking place.”
It was a rough start for the Aggies in their first official home game of the season. The Wildcats made strong attacks on the goal in the first 10 minutes of the game. As the Aggie offense regrouped, the action shifted to midfield.
Both teams found breaks in the midfield melee and attempted multiple shots. Aggie goalkeeper, Ali Griffin, made three saves in the first period as the Wildcats penetrated the Aggie defense.
The Aggies countered with close shots by Dana Peart and senior forward Charity Weston. Trying to duplicate the game-winning shot of the Idaho State game, Peart crossed the ball to junior midfielder Andra Hansen in the 26 minute of play. Hansen had a direct shot on goal but was blocked by a Wildcat defender.
As the game progressed so did the physicality of the match. Weber State boasted a larger squad than USU and applied strong defensive pressure. This resulted in a combined total of 12 fouls in the first period alone. Weston also received a yellow card and was ejected from the game for the remainder of the first period after getting into a pushing match with Weber State defender Sarah Espinoza.
Without their top scorer, the Aggies relied on Peart to lead the team. The Aggies had two more attempts on goal but couldn’t put anything away as the period ended scoreless.
“We really needed to battle to win this,” Peart said. “We knew it was going to be a big battle and it was going to take something big to win it. We did everything we could to make it happen – just all around team effort.”
The second half saw early pressure on the goal by Weber State as the offense penetrated the Aggie defensive line and came close to the goal. In the 51 minute of play, a cross-field shot by the Wildcats was tipped away by Griffin.
As the Aggies settled into the second period play, the shots on goal shifted to their favor. The Aggies made a total of nine shots in the second period as compared to the four by the Wildcats.
“The first half was a little bit rough,” Peart said. “The second half we came out with better composure. We got what needed to be done.”
The Aggies saw multiple scoring opportunities in the second period but the ball couldn’t find its way into the net. In the 69th minute of play, junior midfielder Abby Hunt crossed the ball on a high kick to Weston who headed the ball just over the net.
The Wildcats fought back in the closing minutes of regulation play and placed themselves in scoring position within the 18-yard box. Their offensive attempts were not enough as Griffin made a save to finish regulation play with a score of 0-0.
Speaking of Griffin, Cairns said, “She made a save at the end of regulation that kept us in the game. She’s been playing really well for us. She’s been tested, she’s earned those shutouts.”
The first overtime saw minimal shooting action from either team as both teams struggled to get the ball in good scoring position. The Wildcats did get two solid attempts on goal but the shots were deflected by Griffin and the Aggie defenders. The first overtime ended scoreless.
Going into second overtime, the Aggies utilized their veteran players to attempt a score. Weston started a play by crossing the ball to Peart who eyed Hansen in scoring position next to the goal. Hansen kicked the ball but it was blocked by a Weber State defender. The assist favor was returned by Hansen a minute later when she passed the ball to Peart who shot wide right.
The Aggies possessed the ball the remainder of the period and scrambled to find an opening. Off a pass from junior midfielder Abby Hunt, Peart kicked the ball over the heads of the Wildcat defenders and goalkeeper and into the back of the net to seal the victory over the Wildcats.
The Aggies improve their record to 2-0-1, their best season start since 1998 when, ironically, they beat Idaho State and Weber State.
“It’s a long season and we have to maintain the momentum and we have to get better at things,” Cairns said. “It’s a journey and our goal is to be the best we can be the last few games. We don’t want to peak now.”
-sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu