By Elizabeth Arrowsmith
The BYU women’s soccer team faced off against Weber State Saturday, Aug. 26, in its season opener which ended in a 7-1 victory for the Cougars.
Fans crowded the wet bleachers as the rain came pelting down, and the players stepped out onto the field ready to brave the elements and take on their feisty rivals.
Aleisha Cramer, a freshman standout from Lakewood Colo., stepped up to the challenge, striking first in the first few minutes of the game with an assist from teammate, Farrah Hofheins.
Twenty minutes into the first half, Cramer scored again, this time after a midfield steal and dribble through Weber State defenders for the goal.
By half-time, the Cougars held a 5-0 lead, and waited out a 20-minute game delay due to lightning.
The second half only grew dirtier and windier as the rain hit field and fans harder than before and both teams charged up and down in drenched uniforms, each step a splash into inches of water and mud.
Weber State’s Debbie Vudhi Vadhana scored the only night’s goal for her team at the 57-minute mark. The Cougars outshot Weber State 28 to six, according to a www.byucougars.com press release.
Cougar players, Kim Lowe, Annie Hoecherl, Jeni Willardson and Michelle Jensen Peterson also put numbers on the board.
“I’m pleased with the way our team came out in the first half, taking control of the game early,” said BYU’s head coach, Jennifer Rockwood, according to the release.
Saturday’s game was the first opportunity that the team’s starters had to play and work together — something that Rockwood said brought positive results, according to the release.
Lowe, a senior from Danville, Calif., said the game set the tone for an exciting upcoming season.
“I think this is going to be one of our biggest years. We have a lot of potential and depth. The freshman are going to be a great addition to our team,” she said.
As for the weather — “it wasn’t optical playing conditions, but it wasn’t anything that stopped us,” Lowe said.
The BYU women’s soccer team is ranked No. 20 and will hit the road this week for a game against Washington Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Montana on Thursday, Aug. 31.
The Cougars face off against Washington State in their next home game on Labor Day, Sept. 4.
