SANDY -- For 81 minutes, the Wildcats battled toe-to-toe with their in-state rivals.
In the end, it came down to just one mistake.
Utah State's Shantel Flanery scored in the 81st minute and Lauren Hansen added an insurance goal in the 86th as the Aggies edged Weber State 2-1 on the opening night of college women's soccer action at Rio Tinto Stadium.
"I think the players have an understanding and an idea of what we want to do," Weber State coach Tim Crompton said. "In October and November, our focus is on winning games, but right now we are focused on getting better. That being said, I'm not happy that we lost, but I feel like we are making improvement."
Junior midfielder/forward Ari Wood scored in the 88th minute to give the Wildcats a fighting chance to get back into the match, but that would be their final attempt of the night. Junior forward Jessie Baddley earned the assist on the play.
The two late goals spoiled a fantastic debut effort from Weber State goalkeeper Ryann Waldman. The redshirt freshman made four saves in the match, including a pair of close-ranged attempts that required rapid reflexes.
Utah State finished with a 17-8 shots advantage, but put just six of those on frame. Weber State put four of its attempts on goal.
The opening 45 minutes were scoreless with both squads generating only a handful of opportunities. Crompton made liberal use of his bench to distribute playing time.
Utah State finished the first half with a 7-4 shots advantage, although Weber State enjoyed a 3-2 advantage on frame.
Next up for the Wildcats is another date with an in-state rival, when they take in BYU at South Stadium in Provo on Aug. 27.
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