Final Box

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Wyoming soccer fell to Utah State in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament, 2-1, on Tuesday evening at the San Diego State Sports Deck.

Wyoming (10-8-2, 6-4-1 MW) was held to just nine shots and two on goal, while Utah State (12-8-0, 7-4-0 MW) managed 19 shots, putting seven on frame. Lauren Harmon of Utah State opened the scoring in the 24th minute, deflecting in a corner kick from Jessica Brooksby. Wesley Hamblin then doubled the lead just before halftime when she snuck in a low shot to the near post.

The Cowgirls came back in the second half looking to mount a comeback, but the Aggie back line continued to stifle the Wyoming attack. Junior defender Tristan Tyrrell made things interesting in the final moments of the contest, netting her first goal of the season in the 88th minute to cut the Aggie lead to one. However, Utah State would possess the ball for most of the remaining time and escape with the 2-1 victory.

"I'm so proud of the seniors and what they've accomplished, raising the bar for our program," UW head coach Pete Cuadrado said. "Four-straight trips to the tournament and three 10-win seasons is something special. Tonight was one of the most physical games we've seen all year. We stepped up and matched the physicality in the second half, which got us the one goal back but we couldn't get a second."

Tyrrell's goal was the first of her Cowgirl career. Sophomore defender Taylor Burton was credited with the assist, her second of the season. A season-high six Cowgirl starters each played a complete 90 minutes. Utah State advances to face top-seed UNLV on Thursday.