The matchup sent the Wildcats to Laramie to pit the Big Sky preseason No. 1 against the Mountain West preseason No. 2. The Cowboys looked the part early this season with a 1-0 home win over Drake and a 3-0 road win at Northern Colorado.

That continued Thursday when junior Maddie Burr got one past WSU’s Lauren Butorac for a goal in the third minute.

Butorac was stout from there, totaling four saves.

Junior Oakley Anderson got Weber State (1-1-1) on the board with a goal in the 31st minute. Sophomore midfielder Nellie Brooks put the Wildcats in the lead minutes later, assisted by Lily Blum in the 34th minute. That gave the game its final 2-1 total at halftime.

Wyoming outshot Weber State 16-9 overall but each team put five on frame.

Weber State returns home for a match 1 p.m. Sunday, hosting Oregon State (1-2).

JONES TO REPRESENT USA

Weber State alum and two-time NBA champion Dillon Jones will represent Team USA in the fourth round of Men’s World Cup qualifying, USA Basketball announced Thursday.

After training camp Aug. 20-24 in Miami, the 12-player squad will play at Chile on Aug. 27 and host Colombia (in Washington, D.C.) on Aug. 31.

Jones is one of four players representing the United States for the first time. Among them is guard and Utah State alum (via Montana State) Darius Brown. Jaron Blossomgame and DeJon Jarreau are also first-time Team USA players.

Other players are Pedro Bradshaw, Garrison Brooks, Kevon Harris, Mike James, James Nunnally, Orlando Robinson, Tyler Smith and Cole Swider.

Former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts will serve as head coach.

The United States went 5-1 in the first three qualifying rounds and is second in their current group behind Brazil (6-0). The two games from the fourth round are the first pair of six more contests; after those six games, the top three teams from the group make for the World Cup. That’s scheduled for Aug. 27-Sept. 12, 2027, in Qatar.